The First World Champion
by IfTimeWasStill
Summary: An international company sets up a global tournament to crown the first World Champion and promote their latest product. Holly Wexler is invited to participate, but will dreams of glory get in the way of the truth behind the tournament?
1. Prologue

**Prologue:**

I turn the corner and the old stone building comes into view. Almost home. I reach into my pocket and begin to rummage, trying to separate my keys from the various coins in there. I look up as my fingers grip my door key and I notice the man stood patiently outside my house. He is wearing a dark pinstriped suit and has a briefcase resting at his feet. He looks like he's going to try and sell me something. I consider walking straight past and taking a circular route that should give him time to leave by the time I return. I decide against it though. He would likely come back later so he would need telling 'no' at some point. It might as well be now. Reluctantly, I trudge up the steps to my house.

"I'm not interested in buying anything," I say as I step around him to the door.

"Holly Wexler?" he asks as I slot my key into the door. I pause for a moment.

"Yes," I say cautiously. I don't move from my position. I am suddenly paranoid. This man is no ordinary door-to-door salesman. He knows my name. Hundreds of questions rush into my head. What else does he know about me? What does he want with me? Is he going to threaten me? Is it safe to move or will he stop me trying to defend myself?

"My name is Raymond Hay, I have been selected as a representative of Elder Industries by the CEO Lancelot Elderidge personally," the man explains. The name of Elder Industries is familiar. They are one of the leading manufacturers of technology aimed at Pokémon trainers. What would a company of that size want with me? Of course, they want me to buy something.

"Right," I say and turn to the man, Raymond, "What do you want from me?"

"I am here to personally invite you to a grand tournament hosted by Elder Industries," he says, "If you pass a qualification test, that is."

"A tournament?" I ask, "Wait, you've come to invite me but don't even know if I qualify, how does that work?"

"You are a highly rated Pokémon trainer on our radar. This means we will consider you to compete, but you would have to prove yourself worthy enough to participate if you were interested," Raymond explains. It makes sense. I have started to make a name for myself so some people might be tracking my progress and a supposedly grand tournament would want to confirm that entrants are as good as their reputation suggests.

"Alright," I say and fold my arms as I examine the man carefully, "What's the proof, incentive and catch?"

He picks up his briefcase and pats it while looking at me as though I understand what it means. "Perhaps we might talk more inside?" he asks.

"Fine," I sigh. I can't deny that I'm interested. Elder Industries is a big company, anything they're running has to be big so I want in. I turn back to the door and unlock it. I'm a little worried about inviting the man inside as I feel safer stood out in the street where neighbours could see if anything happened, but it is rather cold outside.

I lead Raymond through the hall and into the kitchen. I hurriedly move the leftovers of my breakfast from the dining table to the side and brush aside the post to clear some space. Raymond places his briefcase on the table in the space I created. I gesture for him to sit down and he takes the seat in front of him. I sit down as well.

"As far as proof goes, here is my card," Raymond says and pulls a small business card from inside his briefcase. He hands it to me and I look at it, unsure what exactly will provide evidence of legitimacy. "If you wish, you can look up that number from another source and call to confirm I am who I say I am."

"I'll believe you," I say. If he's confident enough to let me search the internet to find a number to call and find out if he's the real deal then he probably is or a conman with a scheme so elaborate that I won't have a chance to expose it alone.

"The first incentive is your travel and accommodation during the tournament," Raymond says, "They would be covered by Elder Industries. If your tournament campaign were to be a poor one then you could consider it a two week holiday in Nimbasa City, Unova."

Raymond then pulls a brochure from his briefcase and slides it across the table to me. It seems to be one big advertisement for Nimbasa City. I casually flick through the brochure noticing various attractions I had heard of. Unova's second city is a popular tourist destination.

"That is not to say that you should intentionally do badly to enjoy the sights," Raymond continues, "Doing well would be in every competitor's interests. Glory, the title of World Champion and a ten million Pokédollar prize fund await the winner."

I remain silent for a moment and try to take it what was on offer. Ten million is a lot of money. The title of World Champion is an odd one though. There had never been such a thing before. Unova had actually hosted a Pokémon World Tournament exclusive to regional Gym Leaders, Elites and Champions. But the eventual winner, Steven Stone from Hoenn, had not received the title of World Champion. Why is the title being made now and how am I supposed to compete with that kind of opponent?

"Isn't the tournament just going to be dominated by regional Elites?" I ask, voicing my concern.

"The title of World Champion can't be competed for by a standing regional Elite and none wish to step down knowing that in such fierce competition one loss would mean they lose everything. There has never been a World Champion before as there has never been such a global event for ordinary trainers before," Raymond explains, "The Elder World Championships will bring together trainers from across the globe and crown the first World Champion."

Without the prospect of facing the likes of Steven Stone, I suddenly fancy my chances. It then occurs to me that if he's not confident enough of victory to step down then there would be people just as good, if not better, competing. That is frightening. At the same time, it's exciting. My heart is racing at the idea. But I have to compose myself.

"And what's the catch?" I ask.

Raymond goes into his briefcase again and pulls out a small leather box, placing it on the table in front of me.

"This," he says.

Raymond opens the box to reveal what looks like a smartphone built into a bracelet.

"What is it?" I ask.

"This is Elder Industries' latest product, the Battle Gear. As part of the tournament, you would be required to trial and showcase it, if that can be called a catch," he says, "Since it's free, I would say it's an incentive."

"What does it do?" I ask and look closely at it. At the moment, it is just some sort of touch screen device to wear on a wrist. More than that would require it to be on.

"The best way to explain would be to demonstrate through your qualification test if you are still interested," Raymond says. I nod.

A few minutes later, we are stood outside. The courtyard behind my house has enough space for a battle. The qualification test seems fairly simple. A one on one Pokémon battle against Raymond. A win means I qualify for the tournament. Defeat means he leaves and I have to watch events unfold on TV. I am now wearing the Battle Gear on my left wrist. Raymond has revealed a similar device on his wrist that had been hidden by his sleeve.

"Activate your Battle Gear," Raymond says.

I look at the device on my arm for a moment and then press the only button I can see. The screen lights up with a swirling orange background. I tap the Battle button and the words 'Battle Mode Engaged' flash across the screen. Raymond seems to be doing the same across the courtyard. After a moment, the screen changes again.

"Select your Pokémon," Raymond says.

I see my name on the screen and small icons of the six Pokémon in my team below it. Below that is Raymond's name and three icons. I can make them out as Medicham, Volcarona and Torterra. I try to decide which of my Pokémon would be the best choice, but I am distracted by how the device had known my name and team. I can guess that Raymond registered my name, but how it knew my team was a mystery. There is no way he could have guessed the six Pokémon I would carry on my belt today. Maybe it had scanned my Poké Balls?

I try to snap out of it. I can't keep thinking of how this thing works. I can ask questions later. I need to focus on this battle, otherwise the tournament will end up as just another 'what if' and the Battle Gear would likely not be so free. I tap the icon of the Pokémon I think is best suited for whatever Raymond choses from the three shown and it enlarges to fill most of the screen.

"What now?" I ask.

"We battle," Raymond says and picks a ball from inside his suit jacket. "Go, Volcarona!"

"Go, Crobat," I say, grabbing a Poké Ball and throwing it forward.

The two Pokémon appear in the courtyard and stare each other down. Their wings beat as they hover above the ground. Raymond glances at his Battle Gear and I decide to do the same. The screen has changed again to what appears to be a full battle analysis. Two bars show roughly how much strength the two Pokémon have remaining. Numbers at the side list temperature, wind speed, conditions of the ground surface and other things I am unsure of. I rarely take most of these factors into consideration.

"Quiver Dance," Raymond orders to begin the battle.

Volcarona beats its wings harder and starts to move around in circles as though it's dancing. Specks of light twinkle around it as it gets faster in its movements. I have to act.

"Crobat, use Toxic," I call out.

My Crobat flies up and takes aim. It spits out a large quantity of purple sludge that falls over where Volcarona is dancing. Volcarona's fast movements reduced the accuracy but there was enough poison to hit it. The poison seeps into Volcarona's body and begins to take effect, disturbing the Quiver Dance and causing it to cry out in pain.

"Fiery Dance," Raymond says.

Volcarona resumes dancing. Only this time it is surrounding by flames instead of light. The swirling flames float up towards Crobat. Crobat tries to dodge, but is still hit, the attack twirling in the sky to cover where Crobat might have fled to. Crobat begins to drop. It has taken a lot of damage from that hit, but the Battle Gear says it can still fight.

"Brave Bird!" I call to my falling Pokémon.

Crobat hears me and adjusts itself. It pulls its wings in and directs its fall. Suddenly, it swoops forward and crashes into Volcarona. The two Pokémon bundle over and both bars on the Battle Gear empty rapidly. A small red mark appears next to Crobat's health bar.

Crobat untangles itself from Volcarona and slowly rises back into the air. I can see scorch marks on Crobat's wings. It's burnt. That's what the red mark means. I check back and see a purple mark next to Volcarona's bar to signify its poisoned status. Volcarona slowly rises as well, struggling with the poison visibly pulsing through it. Purple veins are visible in its wings.

I assess the situation. Any attack that hits will end the battle. Volcarona should succumb to the poison soon, sooner than the burn will force Crobat to concede. I can't guarantee that Crobat can land an attack. It would have to get in close to strike and that would open it up to being hit by Volcarona first. My best option is to avoid Volcarona and let time take its toll.

"Fiery Dance."

"Crobat, just keep moving and dodge everything!" I shout into the sky.

All I can do now is watch and wait. Crobat moves with all of the speed it can in its state and shoots across the sky. Volcarona's attack flies past harmlessly. Raymond calls for a repeat attack. I grit my teeth as Crobat darts about the sky and Volcarona tries to aim. I can see the purple veins throbbing in Volcarona's wings. It won't be long now. I just have to survive this attack…

"Reverse direction!" I shout suddenly.

I had noticed that Crobat was moving in a pattern and Volcarona was catching on. Crobat stops rather suddenly, not changing direction as it is still processing the information. But it is enough. Volcarona's attack blazes through the sky where Crobat would have gone. I sigh in relief as Volcarona finally falls to the poison. My Battle Gear flashes to declare me the winner.

"Congratulations," Raymond says simply.

Volcarona disappears from my view and back into its Poké Ball. I hold Crobat's ball into the air to recall it. With Crobat returned, I fall to my knees exhausted. The battle had taken it out of me. I haven't experienced anything like that in a long time. I'm almost out of practise. I'm glad it's over. There is another feeling though. I'm glad it happened. That was why I aspired to be as good as I am. The adrenaline rush of an intense battle. I want more. I know where I'm going to get it.

Raymond picks up his briefcase and opens it again. He rummages for a moment and pulls something out. Putting the briefcase back down, he walks over to me and hands me an envelope.

"Here is your invitation to the Elder World Championships, Miss Wexler. We look forward to seeing you there. Your travel and accommodation details will arrive by post shortly," he says.

I take the envelope and see my name handwritten on it. After a brief pause, Raymond turns to go, leaving me to kneel in the courtyard and recover from the sudden rekindling of my passion.

* * *

AN: I've read a few of these types of stories recently so thought I'd give it a go. This is an OC submission fic, meaning I want you, the reader, to submit characters to compete in the tournament. To submit a character, fill in the form below and send it to me in a PM.

**Name:**

**Gender:**

**Age:**

**Appearance:**

**Personality:**

**Backstory:**

**Pokémon: (Please choose 6, be sensible and if you go into enough detail to include moves, I will allow up to 5.)**


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1:**

I walk slowly through Nimbasa Airport, dragging my suitcase along behind me. I am tired after the long flight from Lumiose City and the long waits at either end. I don't really know where I'm going. I'm just taking my time and hoping that when I find the exit there's a man next to a car holding a sign with my name on. If I have to make my own way to the hotel then my long day is going to get even longer.

My train of thought is interrupted as someone bumps into me. I stop walking and regain my balance. I angrily look ahead to see the person who had bumped into me casually strolling away. He looks like a boy. Some sort of teenager who probably thinks he owns the place and has no regard for the people around him. I then realise that there's something wrong. I quickly frisk my pockets to confirm what I suspected. My passport is gone.

"Hey!" I shout after the boy.

Heads turn to look in our direction and I expect the boy to make a run for it. I am prepared to chase him. However, he stops walking. He lifts his arms to reveal that he is in fact holding my passport. He flicks through it as though it were a flipbook cartoon before slamming it shut. With the flick of the wrist, he throws the passport back to me and I desperately scramble to catch the small book in my arms.

"Nice to meet ya, Holly," he says and turns slightly to reveal a cheeky grin on his face.

"What do you think you're playing at?" I ask apprehensively, not sharing his mood about the situation.

"The name's Robin Harper," he says, "I saw you on the plane, you're wearing a Battle Gear and heading to Nimbasa, so I thought I'd say hi."

"So, you're…" I begin, but I'm unsure how to word the rest of my question.

I think he understands what I'm trying to ask though as he turns to face me properly. He seems like your average teenager in general appearance: trainers, trousers that are too big and a t-shirt over a long sleeved shirt because that's apparently a fashionable thing to do. His hair is a mess of black sticking out from beneath his rather silly hat and his devious smile doesn't seem like fading any time soon.

He raises his left arm and tugs at his sleeve. He too is wearing a Battle Gear. That answers my question. He must also be a participant in the tournament. I detect a North Kalosian accent in his voice. It makes sense that the participants from Kalos would be on the same flight. I wonder if there were any others.

"Yeah, we're rivals now," he says, "Now, come on!"

Robin grabs my arm and pulls me along, I quickly grab the handle of my suitcase as he breaks out into a jog. I flail about in an awkward run as my arms are pulled in both directions, one by Robin leading me off somewhere and the other gripping to my belongings. Robin drags me through the airport and I barely have chance to see where we're going.

"Where are we going and don't you have a bag?" I ask between breaths.

"Bus," he calls back to me, "There's an hourly bus service that goes to all the hotels in Nimbasa. I've already been there to drop off my bag since you're so slow."

I try to wave my hand to smack his arm out of annoyance but barely make contact. Soon, we exit the airport and arrive at a row of buses and coaches. Robin stops, seemingly trying to remember which bus it was, giving me chance to recover. I get my breath back and decide to change which hand I pull the suitcase with. My hand is starting to get sore. Without warning, Robin sets off again.

"It's over here," he calls out.

"Why can't you slow down?" I ask exasperatedly.

I haul my suitcase along and follow the energetic boy. He definitely has more stamina than I do. This is killing me. Fortunately, it isn't far to our bus. Robin doesn't really stop though, he jumps straight up onto the steps inside the door of the bus and turns back to see where I am. A man I assume is the driver is leaning against the front of the bus drinking from a can. I can't see what the can is, his large and sweaty hand covers the logo. I just have to hope it's some kind of caffeine or energy drink. He turns and looks at me as I approach.

"Nimbasa hotels?" he asks with a rough voice that sounds like it has been destroyed by years of smoking.

I nod. I assume following Robin was the right idea and there aren't people holding signs with our names on waiting for us parked somewhere else. The driver slams his can down on a bollard next to him and hauls his massive body away from the bus. I freeze in place at the sight of the man lumbering towards me with such speed. He barges past me and grabs my suitcase, lifting it in the air like it's nothing and tossing it the luggage store of the bus. I cringe slightly, trying to think if there was anything remotely fragile in my bag.

"You coming or not?" Robin snaps me out of it and I follow him onto the bus.

The bus is mostly full already and I have to sit on a spare seat on the opposite side of the aisle to Robin. I normally wouldn't mind where I sit, but I want to stick close to Robin. He seems to know what's going on. If he doesn't, then things could go very bad very quickly. I end up seated next to an old man who is asleep and resting against the window. He isn't wearing a Battle Gear and I wouldn't expect him to have one at all. I wonder how many of the people on this bus do have one though. I try to look around at the other passengers but it's too difficult to see anyone's wrists without appearing to be really weird. There's no guarantee the other participants are even wearing their Battle Gears yet. I have mine on as I discovered there is a setting for battling against people without one so kept it on in case I found myself battling at some point. Thus far, there had been no need for it.

I spend the journey looking out the windows and taking in the sights of Nimbasa City. I had expected for Robin to keep talking to me. Instead, he was giving earache to whichever poor soul sat next to him. Every so often I could hear his voice get louder or his arms flail about into the aisle as he told numerous stories with dramatic style.

Nimbasa City is like one big holiday destination. Everything in the city is lit up even during the day and seems geared towards tourists and sports fans. Local sports teams and their players take pride of place on billboards throughout the city whether they're advertising themselves or some kind or product. I am surprised to see very little attention given to the local Gym Leader and supermodel Elesa. Perhaps she is getting too old to be as appealing as in her prime a few years back.

Even though I am from the quiet country town of Camphrier, Nimbasa City isn't a culture shock. Lumiose City is close by and a necessity to visit for shopping beyond essentials so I'm familiar with big cities. Still, visiting a foreign city for the first time is definitely a different experience.

We stop every so often and the driver announces the hotel's name in his raspy voice. People filter off and reclaim their bruised belongings from the luggage hold. I get glimpses of the hotels through the windows, each one seems more extravagant than the last. If this trend continues, I am looking forward to seeing where I'm staying. I also regularly glance at the old man sleeping next to me. He has been asleep the entire time so could easily have missed his stop and not know. I consider waking him but always decide against it.

Eventually, we arrive at the Stadium Park Hotel. I think this is my stop. It's the only name I recognise. I left all the information in my suitcase which I can't access. I look to Robin for confirmation and he is standing up. I get up as well and start assessing the other people who are getting off. There is a wide variety of people. I notice a girl with Poké Balls strapped to her arm. Definitely a trainer. I have to stop trying to figure everyone out and actually focus on what I'm doing though.

"Are you here for the World Championships too?" someone asks.

I turn to see a tall boy with neat brown hair sorting something out in a rucksack on the floor. He looks up at me through a pair of huge round glasses. He is distracting me while the driver is trying to fish my bag from the pile.

"No, the other pink one, it should say Wexler on the label," I say as the driver thrusts a suitcase towards me.

"Huh?" the boy sounds confused and looks at me oddly.

"Sorry, not you," I say, "Yes I am… That's not pink!"

I sigh and go over to the luggage hold. I point to a case that had fallen onto its side near the back having finally spotted it myself. The driver looks at me disapprovingly and then climbs in to fetch it. When he tosses the case out onto the floor next to me, I glare at him before lifting it onto its wheels and dragging it away. I return to the boy who had tried to start a conversation and apologise again.

"Sorry about that, yeah, I'm also here for the tournament," I say, trying to hide how enraged I currently am by the driver.

"He's probably just like that because he's tired or something," the boy says and briefly glances towards the driver, "I'm Elin Reynold by the way."

Elin extends an arm to offer a handshake and I take it.

"Holly Wexler," I introduce myself.

Elin is roughly the same height as me, but is clearly younger than me. There is a youth about his blue eyes, though I expect they've seen plenty if he's got this far. The other competitors I've met so far have been quite young. I assume there will be a grizzled old veteran somewhere on the tournament line up, just they're probably less likely to approach a young woman such as myself in public.

Elin and I make our way into the hotel gates. Robin is nowhere to be seen. The hotel is a rather grand tower building made of stone. Every floor is lined with balconies. Below, I can see a swimming pool and outdoor restaurant nearby. I hadn't thought to bring swimwear. It was probably mentioned in the brochure as well. Just my luck. Hopefully there wouldn't be much time for swimming with all the battles to come. We enter the hotel and arrive in a large marble entrance hall. We approach the oak reception desk and dump our bags on the ground along with everyone else. There are two receptionists on duty.

"Guests staying with Elder Industries, please queue here. Regular guests queue for my colleague," the woman on the left hand side of the desk stands up and points to the assigned places.

I look to Elin and then go over to where the woman said to wait. Robin was stood just in front of me in the queue, recounting the tale of a battle with a girl's Dedenne to the person in front of him. Each person in the queue was asked their name, given a room key and then told to report back here for a meeting at seven tonight. The meeting is probably going to be an introduction for the competitors and a chance to meet each other. Until then, I want to get some rest and relax without being in a moving vehicle.

Seven arrives fairly quickly. I had fallen asleep on the double bed in my room almost as soon as I'd entered the room. I make my way back down to reception to find a large group lingering at reception. Elin is amongst them so I go over. Most people seem to be chatting, but one dark haired man seems to be stood away from the group and not looking too happy about the situation. I am about to go over to talk to him when I hear Robin shout.

"Sorry I'm late," he cries out and jogs over to join the group.

"Oh, it's him," Elin says, "He stole my room key earlier."

"I gave it back," Robin laughs as he joins us.

"Is pickpocketing your way of saying hello?" I ask.

"Pretty much," he grins at us with that cheeky smile of his.

"Good, I was worried it was a party trick to try and chat me up," I say, sounding a lot more relieved than I intended to.

"Ha, never thought of that, did it work?" Robin asks.

"Not in the slightest," I sigh.

Robin looks like he's about to respond but is cut off by someone ringing a bell on the reception desk. Everyone falls silent and turns to see a man in a business suit stood in front of the desk. I then realise that the man is Raymond.

"Now that you're all gathered here, we can begin. If you'd all follow me, please," Raymond says and begins to walk away.

The group of Pokémon trainers follows Raymond through the hotel at various paces. Though we all seem to be sticking in small friend circles that have started developing. We are led to a conference room which we file into and stand around. A couple of people take seats at the long meeting table without being invited to. A person is already waiting for us with their back turned. Once all sixteen of us are in the room, Raymond leaves and closes the door behind him.

"Welcome," the person says. The man, dressed in a pristine white suit with a white cape draped over his shoulders, turns to face us. He ensures his wavy brown hair is not out of place before looking at each of us. "What a fine group. The sixteen greatest trainers the world has to offer. You were our first choices and you all qualified and accepted. My grand tournament will be the greatest competition the world has seen and one of you… one of the sixteen people in this room will be named as the greatest Pokémon trainer in the world. A World Champion. A Pokémon Master."

The man holds his arms out wide as though to embrace the whole room. A warm smile rests on his face. It looks like it is a genuine pleasure for him to see us all gathered together.

"Question, is there a bar?" a scruffy looking man, one of the oldest people in the room, asks.

"Please leave all questions until the end," the man in white says, his smile fading slightly, "Now, for the unfamiliar, my name is Lancelot Elderidge. I am the CEO of Elder Industries, the organiser of this grand event and the inventor of the Battle Gear which I see a number of you are already wearing. That is good to see."

Lancelot pauses and reaches into his suit jacket to pull out a small remote. He presses a button and the lights in the room dim, he presses another and a projector above him flickers to life and shines onto the wall behind him.

"Tomorrow, the first round shall begin," Lancelot says, "There will be four matches tomorrow and four the day after. Those competing are to report to reception at nine in the morning to travel to the stadium. Those not competing on the particular day are free to come along to watch, stay at the hotel and view the television coverage or amuse themselves."

Sixteen names and faces appear on the screen behind Lancelot. With another button press, the names and faces move around the screen to organise themselves into a tournament bracket. Everyone stares intently at the screen to see who they are paired with. People then look around the room for their opponents. I simply continue staring at the screen in horror. It's typical. I have to face one of the two people I've actually talked to. First game of the first round, Holly Wexler vs Elin Reynold.

**AN: Managed a chapter a bit faster than I expected. I also got enough OCs, 8 for those wondering. So I won't be accepting any more. But never fear, the first chapter has introduced 2 and given brief appearances to another 3. I hope you enjoy it.**


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2:**

The hotel grounds are quiet at half past six in the morning. All of the sounds are distant noises from the outside world. Most of the guests are still asleep. I'm not. I wasn't asleep to begin with. I am sat on the floor outside with my back against the wall watching the sun slowly climb over the city skyline. It isn't what I planned to be doing at this time in the morning. It's just what ended up happening. I couldn't stay cooped up in my room all night when I couldn't sleep.

"What's a pretty lady like you doing moping around out here?" someone asks.

I look up to see a large man with tanned skin jogging along the path in my direction. He has very short brown hair and is dressed for his morning jog in a pair of tracksuit bottoms and trainers. I struggle to look at him properly though as, combined with the sunrise, his orange jacket is a bit bright for my tired eyes. He slows down as he reaches me and jogs on the spot.

"Can't sleep," I say. He laughs a little.

"Excited?" he asks. I can vaguely remember him from the night before. He is another of the competitors.

"A bit," I say, "Nervous, worried, morally conflicted."

"Ha, what's there to be conflicted about unless you're thinking of attacking the other trainer?" he laughs and then his demeanour lowers slightly as he looks down on me, "You're not thinking of attacking your opponent, are you?"

"No, most certainly not," I protest and the man sighs in relief.

"Out with it then," he says.

"Well…" I begin hesitantly, "It's just I have to face one of the few people I've actually talked to and it seems like he thinks I'm a friend. I know there's probably only five or six years between us, but he seems like he's just a kid. I don't know if I can go all out against him, I'm scared I'd ruin everything for him, you know?"

"Well you don't exactly look like you're gonna be really tough either," the man says.

"Huh?" I suddenly look up at the man again, feeling rather offended.

"Kid's here for a reason, if you wanna win then you've gotta beat him," he says.

The man has redeemed himself. He has alleviated one of my concerns. My mind is still a complete mess ahead of my battle though. I'm excited, I want that adrenaline rush from battling. I'm terrified, all the anticipation and attention will be focused on my battle since I'm up first. It's a global stage broadcast across the world. I've never competed in anything like this before.

"You alright?" the man asks.

I suddenly sit bolt upright and blink. My head had been dropping.

"Tired," I say.

"Come on, not gonna have you fall asleep out here," he says and holds out a hand.

I reach out to take his hand and he pulls me up, seemingly with ease. I stagger slightly and have to grab him for support. I blush slightly as I feel the muscles in his arm. I want to collapse onto him and let him carry me away but know better. It is tempting though. I am in no fit state to be battling. Even though I had a nap the previous evening, my lack of sleep is catching up with me and it will be worse by the time I reach the stadium.

"I'm Shaw Weston, by the way," the man says as he begins to lead me back to the hotel.

"Holly Wexler," I say.

Shaw says something else, but I am too focused on trying to walk. For some reason, I feel like I'm drunk. By the time we make it back to the hotel's entrance, I am feeling better on my feet. Shaw asks if I am going to be alright. I say I am, not actually knowing if I will be or not, and he returns to his morning exercise.

I return to my room. I am tired and want to rest, but it is too late now. I set an alarm to be sure. Using what is provided by the hotel, I make myself some coffee and try to prepare myself for my battle. The first round is a three on three single battle. Sadly, I don't know any of Elin's team in advance so have to make vague preparations. I can at least consider possible line ups that best prepare for all eventualities. I jot a few possibilities down to memorise them. I take solace from the fact that even if I won't be in the best condition for the battle, my Pokémon are well rested.

The time to leave arrives and I double check I have everything. My Battle Gear is strapped tightly to my left wrist, my six Poké Balls are firmly attached to my belt and my notes are tucked away in my pocket. With everything in check, I return to the entrance hall. There is a small group of familiar faces waiting. Not everyone is there yet. Elin is the notable face missing. Although I don't know any of these people by name, they are at least recognisable from the previous evening.

The scruffy man who asked about the bar the previous night is now sat on a chair clutching his head. I imagine he found the bar and had a bit too much to drink. I'm surprised that someone looks to be in a worse state than me.

I look around a bit more and see the dark haired man standing away from the rest of the group again. I walk over to him, wondering why he's always on his own. The tall man glares at me with emerald eyes. He's not impressed to see me approach.

"Hey," I say, a touch unnerved by how he's looking at me.

He does not respond. He stands leaning against the wall with his arms folded and looks at me like I've insulted him.

"Uh, sorry," I say, "I was just wondering why you're always on your own."

The man grunts and then grabs his hood, pulling it over his black hair and leaving just the blue highlighted fringe visible. He immediately walks off. I am left to hold my arms out in despair as I am completely blanked after an attempt to be friendly.

"Daedalus Marlowe," a voice says, "Not the most social of creatures, but that's not what you have to be concerned about. As I understand it, he's not bad when it comes to battling."

I turn around to see a tall young man with crimson red hair walking towards me. He is looking across the hall at the man who had blanked me to indicate that is who he refers to. He looks from Daedalus back to me and offers a handshake. I take it.

"Don't worry Miss Wexler, I won't keep you long. I know Elin is on his way and you two have matters at hand. I am just here to introduce myself. I am Mark Young," he says, "I'm not here to battle today as I'm in the other half of the bracket but it can't hurt to scout the competition."

"Nice to meet you," I say politely.

Without another word, Mark walks off again. I watch as he mingles into another group of competitors. Then, just as Mark said, Elin turns up.

"So, are you ready for our battle?" Elin asks.

"Yeah," I reply. I'm as ready as I can be.

It's strange. We are about to battle it out for a place in the quarter finals of a global tournament, yet we are stood together chatting. Elin is making me feel at ease and I can't determine whether he's genuinely being friendly or if this is part of some elaborate mind game. I know I can't relax too much either way. I don't want to start drifting off.

It is not long until Raymond shows up again to escort those of us who have turned up to our bus. The journey is only a few minutes long thankfully. We arrive and file off the bus to come face to face with the stadium we would be competing in. I unintentionally stop to take it all in. I look on in awe at the arena that can compete with the biggest stadiums in the world. An upturned dome of iron stands before me. Massive crowds are gathered all around us. Barriers are in place to separate us from screaming fans. I have no idea how we have gained so much support. Quickly, I regain control of myself and rush on into the waiting doors of the stadium.

"This is not going to help my hangover," the scruffy man groans as we gather inside.

We are then led through some corridors to something half way between a changing room and a waiting room. Couches surround a coffee table in the middle of the room and a widescreen television hangs on the wall above the table. There are cubicles around the side of the room and two other doors to the one we entered. One leads to a group bathroom and the other out to the arena.

We are left to settle down and prepare ourselves. I don't do much settling. I will be first out of here so there is no point in getting comfortable. The television has been turned on and is now showing the tournament's coverage on a Unovan channel. It seems that Elin is from Unova as the pundits are sounding rather bias in his favour. I notice that only the eight of us competing today are in this room. Mark has disappeared off to somewhere else, I assume he's now in the stands to watch.

There is a short opening ceremony and Lancelot Elderidge says a few words. I don't pay much attention. I can probably make a good guess at what he's saying. It's usually the same old drivel at these tournaments trying to hype up how prestigious the whole thing is and that the crowd would be entertained by the finest trainers, in this case, in the world. I'm too busy trying to keep myself awake. Either I'm focusing so much on it or I'm doing a bad job of it as it takes a moment for Raymond to get my attention. It is time.

Elin and I exit the room through the door and enter a long tunnel. We can see the bright light of the outside world and hear the distant cheers of the crowd. We stand next to each other where we are told and wait for our cue.

"Ladies and gentlemen," the announcer declares, "The first battle of the Elder World Championships is about to begin. So, please give it up for Elin Reynold and Holly Wexler!"

I take a deep breath and step forward. When we emerge from the tunnel, the noise hits me like a wave crashing over me. Suddenly the cheering is all I can focus on. I have competed before, but never in anything like this. I can't begin to comprehend just how many people there are here. I look around, trying to come to terms with the atmosphere. Every seat is filled. People stand and wave. I even notice a couple of banners with my name on. There are people here to support me, people who want me to win. I am overpowered by the emotion of it all. I never expected that being a Pokémon trainer could lead to anything like this. I wave to the crowd with one hand and wipe away a tear with the other. Then I make my way to the designated area at the end of the battlefield.

I stand opposite Elin and try to drown out the noise all around me. I have to focus on Elin now, not as a friend or as some kid but as an opponent.

"Trainers, activate your Battle Gears," a referee I notice to the side of the battlefield orders.

This is even more unfamiliar territory. I raise my arm and turn on my Battle Gear. Choosing the three to battle when both of us know the opponent's team is new to me. The notes in my pocket are probably now useless. We each tap the Battle button and nod to the referee.

"Trainers, select your three Pokémon," the referee says.

Decision time. I look at Elin's team: Serperior, Sawk, Palpitoad, Tyrantrum, Sylveon and Gliscor. A Palpitoad? Am I definitely seeing that right? It doesn't make the team look any less threatening though. I instantly know one of my picks. The other two are a little more difficult. I don't tap the selection just yet, I have to figure out the right order. Which do I start off with? I make a quick guess and tap my three choices.

"Begin!"

"Go, Milotic!" I say and send out my first choice, the beautiful serpentine Pokémon.

"Go, Palpitoad," Elin says as he throws his first Poké Ball. Out comes what appears to be his surprise package.

"Palpitoad, really?" I can't help but ask.

"He doesn't want to evolve, who am I to force it on him?" Elin says back. We can only just hear each other over the noise of the crowd. We will have to be shouting commands to make sure our Pokémon act.

I don't like this match up at all. A straight fight between Milotic and Palpitoad could take a while and I have no way of knowing if Milotic would be able to triumph, even if Palpitoad isn't fully evolved. I have to switch. Even if it forces me to reveal a good portion of my selection so early, it will put me at an advantage or force him to do the same.

"Milotic return," I call out and hold out my Poké Ball. "Go, Gourgeist!"

Elin flinches at the sight of my second Pokémon. He chooses not to switch at this point, giving me hints as to what else he has selected.

"Palpitoad, use Toxic," Elin calls out.

Palpitoad's mouth opens wide and purple sludge shoots out. Gourgeist, being one of the bigger variations of its species, is unable to move out of the way. The sludge coats Gourgeist and it lets out a whine as it seeps into the pumpkin Pokémon, infecting it with poison. I know about the tactics of poison all too well. Having them used against me is going to be devastating.

"Gourgeist, Leech Seed," I order.

"Mud Bomb," Elin counters.

Gourgeist's mouth creaks open further and seeds are fired out in Palpitoad's direction. Palpitoad attacks in a similar way, spitting out a large glob of mud. The two attacks collide, but Palpitoad's easily overpowers the Leech Seed. The seeds are coated in mud and fall harmlessly on the battlefield. The rest of the mud continues on and splatters over Gourgeist.

The bar on my Battle Gear doesn't move much. The attack didn't really hurt Gourgeist, but the real damage is much worse. Gourgeist is now covered in mud. The mud obscures its vision and is dripping into its mouth. The Battle Gear doesn't take this sort of thing into account and probably still thinks I have a chance. But I know the truth. My hopes are fading fast. Elin's Palpitoad has done just its job and caught me off guard.

**AN: Forgot to give credit to the OCs' creators last chapter so I'll list the 8 and who submitted even though they haven't all featured properly yet.**

**Robin Harper - SDproductions**

**Elin Reynold - OPFan37**

**Shaw Weston - Barrett M107**

**Daedalus Marlowe - SentientPixel**

**Mark Young - Kevinboy1008**

**Flourette Lauxand - visceraEffect**

**Thomas Byrne - Gazooki**

**Rhianne Barrestein - TissueMonster**

**Thanks again to all of you for submitting and hope you enjoy the story.**


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3:**

I look across the battlefield at Elin and his Palpitoad. I had underestimated them. Now my Gourgeist is constantly suffering at the hands of poison and is hindered further by a coating of mud over its eyes. I want to use the natural advantage Gourgeist has over Palpitoad while I still can. It's just a question of how. My attempt to prolong the battle with Leech Seed had backfired. I now have to act quickly.

"Flame Charge," I order.

The fire from inside Gourgeist erupts from its mouth and envelopes its body. Covered in flames, Gourgeist rushes towards Palpitoad. Palpitoad easily jumps to the side to avoid it. I don't care though. Hitting Palpitoad was never my intention. As the flames die down and retreat back into Gourgeist, it is revealed that my plan has worked. The mud covering Gourgeist has dried up and been burned away. My Pokémon is now moving more freely too.

"Palpitoad, Muddy Water," Elin commands.

"Seed Bomb barrage!" I respond.

Palpitoad takes in a deep breath. When it exhales, a torrent of filthy water pours out. Gourgeist stands its ground and launches its attack. The first seed reaches the dirty wave and explodes, halting the advance of the attack and spraying it wildly in all directions. More seeds proceed to rain down on Palpitoad, exploding on contact. Palpitoad topples over after several hits and the crowd applauds.

I check my Battle Gear. It isn't over just yet. Gourgeist is running out of time. I have to finish this quickly.

"Gourgeist, Phantom Force," I shout to my Pokémon. It nods back to me before shrouding itself in a shadowy aura and vanishing.

"Palpitoad, get up and watch out," Elin says.

Palpitoad jumps back to its feet and frantically looks around. There is no sign of Gourgeist anywhere. It didn't see Gourgeist vanish so is now looking rather confused. This is my opportunity.

"Now!" I shout.

Gourgeist suddenly reappears behind Palpitoad and slams into it. The shadowy aura adds to the impact and Palpitoad is tossed forwards where it lands on its face. I check my Battle Gear and it confirms that was all Palpitoad could take. The referee declares Palpitoad unable to battle as Elin returns it to his Poké Ball. The crowd erupts in cheers and applause. The spectacle of coming from behind is always something the crowd likes.

I now wait to see what Elin chooses to finish off Gourgeist with. It shouldn't take much at this point. He takes a moment to decide. He could be weighing up his options or just stalling for time and letting Gourgeist weaken.

"Go, Gliscor," he says, "use Ice Fang."

His second Pokémon appears and immediately launches itself into its attack. Gliscor flies toward Gourgeist with its teeth ready to clamp down. Gliscor's teeth sparkle an icy blue as it gets closer.

"Flame Charge," I order in response.

Gourgeist is consumed by flames again. This time it doesn't move. Gliscor simply continues its attack and collides with the wall of fire. I don't see a successful bite in the brief coming together as both Pokémon bundle over. The flames quickly extinguish themselves and the two Pokémon pick themselves up. I notice water dripping from Gliscor's mouth. As hoped, the icy layer created for the attack had melted.

"Will-o-Wisp!" I order, seeing an opening.

Gliscor is busy wiping its mouth dry and getting back into the air. Gourgeist's flame turns purple and multiplies. Soon Gliscor is surrounded by small purple fires and tries to escape as they converge on it. The attack hits and Gliscor's body is badly burnt. It is the final move Gourgeist can make though as it keels over, the poison proving too much for it to handle.

I return Gourgeist to its ball and make a note to thank it later. It went through a lot to put me in a commanding position in the battle. Palpitoad had been dealt with and Gliscor has taken damage that can't be ignored. I know how to exploit the burn too and intend to do so.

"Go, Milotic!"

"Alright Gliscor, Swords Dance," Elin says.

Gliscor begins to twirl in the air, performing an elaborate dance known to sharpen a Pokémon offensive skills. Elin's preparing to go all out on Milotic now. His final choice probably isn't a favourable matchup either. I have just the trick.

"Aqua Ring," I say calmly.

My calmness throws Elin off slightly. He is obviously worried that I have a plan. My calmness was a move more for Milotic's benefit. I want to reassure it that I know what I'm doing. The decision to make a defensive move in this situation, rather than capitalising on Gliscor's setting up, requires trust between a trainer and Pokémon.

Milotic nods and creates a circle of refreshing water that surrounds it and gradually rotates, constantly soothing it.

"Strike it down with X Scissor," Elin commands confidently.

Gliscor crosses its arms and flies over to Milotic, ready to strike. Milotic stands firm and lets Gliscor approach. I don't say a thing. Gliscor gets in close and swipes its claws in an X shape across Milotic. Both Pokémon cry out in desperate pain.

"What happened?" Elin asks.

"Gliscor collided with Aqua Ring, cold water on a burn like that," I say and flinch slightly at the thought.

The burn is visibly healing but Gliscor has taken a lot of damage from it. Meanwhile, Aqua Ring is gradually healing Milotic.

"Now, Scald," I say and Elin looks horrified as he realises what I'm doing.

Milotic twists and raises its head up to attack. It rears its head back and then launches a stream of boiling hot water. The water strikes Gliscor's burnt body and it falls to the floor writhing in pain. Elin is panic stricken and doesn't know how to act.

"Unless Gliscor can attack from range, Aqua Ring will finish him off next time you attack," I say confidently, "Milotic, Recover."

Milotic gladly obliges to heal itself. It glows with light and when the light fades, all signs of damage from Gliscor's attack are gone. Gliscor meanwhile, continues to suffer on the floor. The crowd has quietened down at the sight of it. I then realise how horrific the move I have made is. Gliscor is in immense pain and slowly reaching the end of what it can take. If it attacks, it will be in even more pain.

"Stop it!" Elin cries out and hold out his Poké Ball, "Gliscor concedes!"

Gliscor disappears into the ball where its torment will come to an end. Elin grips the ball in his hand and stares at it. The experience has seriously distressed him. I can tell that he feels very close to his Pokémon and he felt the pain I had put it through.

The crowd begins to boo. At first, I think it is because Elin returned his Pokémon defeated early. Then I realise that they are booing me. I lose my confident stance as the noise rings in my ears. I am now the villain. No one wants me to win anymore. I curse Shaw under my breath for convincing me to take this battle seriously. I've come too far now. I am not going to give up. If the crowd are to get the revenge they want, Elin is going to have to give it to them. There will be no surrender on moral grounds.

"Go, Tyrantrum!" Elin shouts with an air of determination about him.

Elin's third and final Pokémon towers over me and I am glad my position in the battle is as commanding as it is. The thing is enormous. It'll take a lot to take it down and it will likely do a lot of damage before I can.

"Milotic, Ice Beam!" I shout quickly.

Milotic can probably detect the panic in my voice, but doesn't falter. A blast of light blue strikes Tyrantrum and it staggers back slightly. It has taken some damage but shakes it off. Angered by the hit, Tyrantrum lowers itself down towards Milotic and lets out an ear-splitting roar. The resulting wind blows my hair and clothes about. The whole thing leaves me a bit disorientated. It feels like my body is trying to resist the outside influences that would wake me up and I'm getting sluggish.

"Tyrantrum, Crunch," Elin orders.

Tyrantrum charges. The pounding of its feet shake the ground. Tyrantrum opens its jaw and bears down on Milotic. Milotic is able to squirm away just in time and Tyrantrum comes crashing to the ground having bitten through thin air.

"Scald," I call out.

Milotic unleashes more boiling water, striking the vulnerable Tyrantrum in the face. Tyrantrum does not take it well and thrashes out. Milotic is struck as the dinosaur Pokémon flails about and is thrown across the battlefield, landing in a heap. The attack has finally disrupted Aqua Ring as well. Milotic is in a bad way.

"Earthquake," Elin roars triumphantly and the crowds cheers, knowing what's coming.

Tyrantrum throws itself to the ground with all its might. Dust is flung up from the battlefield and shock waves ripple through the stadium. I lose my balance almost immediately and land on my back.

The dust settles and I get a look at my Battle Gear. Milotic has been defeated. Slowly, I pull myself to my feet. Tyrantrum is getting up with considerably more ease than I am. Milotic is not moving at it. It simply lets out a soft whine. I return Milotic and reach for my final Poké Ball. My advantage has disappeared just like that. The tables are turning and Elin and the crowd may get the revenge on me they so desperately desire.

"Go, Crobat!"

I then proceed to yawn very loudly. That definitely won't help my image. It'll make me seem like this match is effortless for me when, in truth, I am actually just very tired. Crobat seems so small compared to Tyrantrum. Milotic has done a good amount of damage, it's just a question of if Crobat can finish the job. I worry that it can't.

"Stone Edge," Elin says. He is now the confident one.

Tyrantrum slams a foot into the ground and spiked stones erupt from the battlefield. Crobat flies away to avoid them. I then have to pay attention to where they fall. A sidestep allows me to avoid being hit by one that got too close. Avoiding Tyrantrum seems like the only thing I can do. I just need a way of damaging it. It seems poison will have to be my answer again.

"Toxic!"

Elin's lumbering giant can't easily avoid and is coated into toxic sludge. I check my Battle Gear. It might take a while to wear Tyrantrum down. Crobat is still in top condition so has a chance of being able to evade attacks for long enough.

"Dragon Claw," Elin says. He still sounds confident.

Tyrantrum swipes at the sky. Crobat dodges. Tyrantrum swipes again. Crobat is not so lucky this time and is clipped. I spot a tear in its wing. It's not going to be able to fly properly. I have no idea how it will handle the rest of the tournament either. This is no time to dwell on that prospect though, I have to win first.

"Use Toxic to blind it!" I shout.

Ordinarily, using Toxic after successfully poisoning something would be of little worth. However, if Crobat can hit its target then it could salvage its chance of winning. The sludge hits it mark. Tyrantrum's eyes are covered. Tyrantrum starts to thrash again. Elin tries to command it and direct where it needs to attack, but it doesn't listen. It flails wildly, both trying to attack and clear its vision. Both fail. Crobat's flight is slow and lopsided, but it is not difficult to stay out of danger.

I look at Tyrantrum's bar on my Battle Gear. I will it to keep dropping. It seems to be going down faster than I expected though. I look back to the rampaging monster to find it striking itself in attempts to knock away the sludge from its eyes. Then it happens. Tyrantrum trips over its own legs and crashes to the ground. There is nothing left for it to do but groan loudly and wait for the inevitable.

My Battle Gear flashes. It is over.

"And the winner is… Holly Wexler!" the announcer declares.

There is a lot of applause, recognising my victory, but very little cheering. After how I had battled, I was not who they wanted to win.

The battle is finally over. All of my worries fade and I can relax. I am so tired now. I want to celebrate, but I want to sleep even more. The last of my strength slips away and I collapse. I lie on the floor in the dust for a moment before I finally drift off.


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4:**

Slowly, I regain consciousness. I feel so good. I am warm and comfortable in bed. I am well rested and feel refreshed. I don't want to get up yet, I could stay like this for a while. There is something wrong though. Something sits in the back of my mind telling me this is wrong. I can't think what it is though, I'm too tired to think properly yet. Gradually, it dawns on me. I'm in bed. I didn't fall asleep in bed. I can vaguely remember battling Elin. What happened?

My eyes shoot open and I fling the covers off. I am lying in a hospital bed, but the room is like no hospital I've ever been to. It's a small grey room with a table in the middle and the bed in the corner. There's a shelf on the far wall with a first aid kit and a few other basic medical supplies on it. I sit up and swing my legs over the edge of the bed. I'm still fully dressed.

I hold onto my head and try to remember what happened. I have a bit of a headache and sitting up quickly hasn't helped matters. It's making it difficult to think. Eventually, the fog in my mind clears and I can remember the battle, the booing and how Elin reacted to his Pokémon. I won and then I fell asleep on the floor. I'm not even sure how I managed to with all the noise in the stadium. I was really tired and exhausted after the battle, I remember that much. I must have completely crashed after it was all over.

I get up and take a few steps before I realise something else is wrong. I reach down to my belt to find all my Poké Balls are gone. I don't think I even had chance to return Crobat after the battle. I look around the room, there's no sign of them anywhere. I head for the door, it's time to find where I am and where my Pokémon are. I open the door and step outside. I find myself back in the tunnel leading out to the arena.

"I could do with a drink after that," I hear a familiar voice.

I look towards the arena to see the scruffy man walking towards me. He is lanky with shaggy brown hair and a matching beard. He holds a pair of glasses in one hand as he wipes his eyes with the other. He slips the glasses back onto his face and stops when he sees me.

"Oh, you're awake Psycho," he says.

"What?" I ask out of confusion, "Sorry, who are you?"

"Oh, amnesia, this should be fun," he says with a grin.

"No, I remember everything fine, I just don't know who you are," I say, "And why did you call me Psycho?"

"I'm Thomas Byrne and you're the Status Psycho," he says, "That's what they're calling you. See, you're trending on Twitter."

Thomas pulls a phone out of his pocket and taps a few times to bring something up before holding the phone out to me. I walk over to him and take the phone to look. The screen shows the latest tweets for the hashtag #StatusPsycho. I take a moment to read some of the comments.

"I don't see why people are worried about Holly passing out, she deserves it after that performance," I read out loud and scroll slightly, "Holly should be disqualified, no respect for her opponent."

"Those are rather complimentary," Thomas says.

I look up at him and then back to his phone. The comments start to get worse. The words used to describe me get more vulgar and all of them call me the Status Psycho. I feel sick reading what these strangers think of me. I'm also a little scared by some of the threats made, I wouldn't be surprised if someone was stupid enough to actually try something.

"Who's the Hangover Hero?" I ask as I read a tweet which doesn't make much sense.

"That's probably me," Thomas says rather proudly.

I read one more and decide I've had enough of them. I hand the phone back to Thomas and he pockets it.

"Are you alright?" he asks, looking at me concerned.

"Some of that stuff is horrible," I say. I probably look quite haunted by what I've just seen.

"Just go back out there and win more, no will care in the end," Thomas says, "It's like I always say, no one cares the orphanage is a pile of ashes if the kids are safe."

"That's an odd saying," I say awkwardly.

"It's true though," Thomas shrugs, "Anyway, someone will want to know you're awake so you should wait in there and I'll go find someone."

"Could I speak to Elin?" I ask.

"Sure, I'll send him in," Thomas says as he walks further down the tunnel.

I walk back into the room with the hospital bed. I walk around the room for a bit before moving over to the table. I jump up and sit on it with my legs dangling off. Soon, the door opens and Elin cautiously walks in. He stands at the door, gripping onto it.

"You wanted to talk to me?" he asks quietly.

"I wanted to apologise," I say and pat the space on the table next to me. He doesn't move from the door.

"Oh," he says. He seems to relax slightly, loosening his grip on the door.

"I'm sorry about what I did to you and your Pokémon," I say, "I didn't realise at the time how horrible the tactics I used would be or how they'd affect you. You're a good kid and definitely know how to battle. I didn't mean to be so cruel. I'm sorry."

Elin loosens up more, but doesn't say anything.

"I probably shouldn't call you a kid either, so sorry about that too," I say, laughing slightly.

"Thanks," he says with a smile and lets go of the door, "Are you alright after… you know, collapsing?"

"Yeah, I just needed to sleep," I say, "How are your Pokémon doing?"

"They should be fine after a rest, Tyrantrum's sight might be poor for a bit but it should recover," Elin says.

"That's good," I sigh in relief. My thoughts then turn to my own Pokémon, especially Crobat. I don't know where they are or how they are. I want to know what happened to Crobat's wing. It was having real difficulty flying at the end of the battle.

Suddenly, Elin notices something and moves away from the door. A moment later, a young woman in a light blue nurse's outfit walks into the room. She stares at Elin who immediately leaves without a word. The nurse approaches me and examines me with her piercing eyes.

"How are you feeling?" she asks with a soft and motherly voice.

"Minor headache, but I'm fine now," I say.

"Would you like anything for your headache?" she asks.

"No thanks," I reply, "Could I know where my Pokémon are?"

"Certainly, we took them to be healed, follow me," the nurse says and turns back to the door to lead me out.

I slip off the table and follow the nurse back out into the tunnel. She leads me to a room opposite where the other competitors were likely still gathered. It is very similar to the room I had woken up in. The major difference is the presence of a Pokémon healing machine in the corner. It is capable of healing most regular battle injuries and restoring a Pokémon to good health. No such technology exists for humans yet. Elder Industries is supposedly working on it despite medical care not being a normal focus for them. I often wonder what it would be like to be instantly recovered and refreshed after an injury. Until an ethics committee approves Poké Ball technology for humans, an equivalent machine for us seems near impossible.

Five of my Poké Balls are resting in the machine having likely already been restored to health. The sixth is on the table next to my Crobat. Crobat is sat on the table looking rather upset with its wings hanging limp at its sides. The wing that had been clipped by Tyrantrum is wrapped in bandages. It looks up at me as I walk over and start stroking its head.

"Your Crobat won't be able to fly for a few days while its wing recovers," the nurse says.

"So I won't be able to use him in the quarter final?" I ask.

"I'm afraid not," the nurse says and shakes her head, "Though the bandages should come off before the semi-final and it will be able to fly, I wouldn't recommend it so soon."

Crobat and I both look down at this. We know what this means. The nurse is advising me to only use five of my current team for the rest of the tournament. It doesn't matter though. There aren't full six against six battles until the semi-finals and I won't make it that far without Crobat. I rely too much on the poison tactics in big battles. I return Crobat to its ball and reattach all six to my belt. I then return to the room opposite to find Raymond and the other competitors waiting for me.

"Keep up Psycho," a girl says when I walk in.

It turns out I slept through the other three battles and now everyone is waiting to return to the hotel. Thomas had won the last battle of the day. Daedalus has also won his battle. The other winner was the girl who spoke when I entered. She has tanned skin and long, wavy black hair. Her name is Rhianne. She will be my opponent in two days' time. If that's the first impression she wants to make before we battle, then I will feel no guilt in the tactics I use.

With all of us now present, we return to the hotel. Raymond leaves us at the entrance hall and we all decide to go our separate ways. Some people leave together, others on their own. Thomas loudly proclaims his intention to go to the bar. I decide he's got the right idea and follow him. The bar is at the hotel's restaurant and I haven't eaten today.

The restaurant is empty. Thomas immediately makes his way to the bar and takes a seat on a stool. I let him order his first drink before I ask the barman if food is being served yet.

"It is, for you," the barman says.

I blush slightly at the thought of getting special treatment. Thomas puts his drink down and looks at me.

"Don't think he's after you, Psycho," he says while the barman is away fetching a menu, "All competitors can get meals when they want."

"Why are we getting special treatment?" I ask.

"I don't know or care, if Elderidge wants to pay for us to eat, drink and be merry, who am I to decline?" Thomas says and takes another swig from his pint.

The barman returns with a menu and I take it to a table in the restaurant. I am liking Thomas so far but I have no idea how he'll be after a few more drinks so want to keep my distance. I browse over the menu. Nothing jumps out as overly enticing. At this point, it's all food, I'll probably love whatever I have. I briefly return to the bar to order and then sit back and wait.

"Over here," I hear someone say.

I look around and spot Rhianne at the entrance to the restaurant. A moment later, another girl joins her. It is the girl with the Poké Balls strapped to her arm that I noticed when we first arrived. She looks around and her blue eyes light up when she spots me. She dashes over and her blonde corkscrew curls trail behind. Rhianne quickly follows. As they come over, I wonder if Robin has stolen any of those Poké Balls yet. They takes the seats across the table from me and the blonde girl smiles at me.

"So, you're the Status Psycho, eh?" she asks.

I try to think of a response, I'm not sure I like this nickname, but I'm too slow to say anything.

"I'm Flourette Lauxand, tournament favourite," she says, "And my friend Rhianne here wants a challenge in the next round. Sadly, she got you and it sounds like you hide behind dirty tactics. Which is why I'm here, I'm going to train you to battle properly. You two get a good battle, no one gets hurt; everyone wins."

"I'm sorry, what?" I ask sounding offended.

"I'm going to help you," Flourette says, still smiling.

"It's a lovely gesture, but I did win my first round," I say, "And you're a fellow competitor. I don't want you trying something to have an edge if we end up facing each other."

"I'm trying to be nice here and you accuse me of being up to something," Flourette says. She sounds annoyed, but she keeps smiling. The whole smiling thing is starting to get unnerving.

"No offense to you, but people do anything for an advantage in lesser tournaments, you've walked in with my quarter final opponent and offered to help me. How can I not be suspicious?" I ask.

"I just wanted to help," Flourette says, "You can't like that Status Psycho thing and Rhianne's scared of what you'll do to her Pokémon. I'm not going to let her get hurt and it'll help you dispel the unwanted attention. It's like I said, everyone wins."

"Well, thank you, but I really have no intention of hurting Rhianne or her Pokémon, just winning, so you have no reason to worry," I say.

"How about we battle?" Flourette asks, "I win and you accept my help, you win and I'll let you decline my offer."

"Flourette, think about what you're saying!" Rhianne interrupts, "You've got your first round battle tomorrow, what if she tortures your Pokémon or even puts one of them out of action? I heard that boy she beat can't use his Tyrantrum for a while because she blinded it."

Flourette stops to think for a moment. Her smile then grows. It seems she's had an idea.

"Ok, we'll battle tomorrow night, except you won't be battling. You need to find someone who believes in you enough to battle for you," she says enthusiastically, "and if you can't find someone, then you forfeit."

I don't say anything. This attitude towards how I battled Elin is really getting to me. I don't want to open my mouth and make things worse though. Thankfully, I am saved from any more of this confrontation by the barman carrying over my food. The other girls look at each other and seem to take my lack of protest as acceptance of the challenge. They get up as the barman places my meal in front of me and leave me to debate who would actually be willing to stand up for me.


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5:**

"No," he says. Thomas puts his drink down on the bar and looks at me. "I've got no problems with you, Psycho, and I don't care how you battle if it works. But I'm not going to battle the girl who's hyped up to win this thing just to defend you."

"Come on," I beg, "I'll buy you a drink."

"I already get free pints here, what difference is you getting me one going to make?" he asks.

"Fine, what else do you want?" I ask.

"There's nothing you can give me that'll convince me to battle bloody Flourette Lauxand until we get paired in the tournament," Thomas snaps at me, "Now go bug someone else."

"Why not?" I ask. I am getting rather desperate with asking him now.

"It's not that I can't beat her because I know I can, it's that there's no point," he says, "It's not my argument and I don't care."

Without another word, I leave Thomas to his drinking. I don't want to get worked up over this. I have a day to find someone. I don't know why I'm even doing this. I don't have to turn up to battle her and I don't have to comply with her. I decide to wander the hotel and see if I can find anyone. I need something to do. I plan to watch the replays of the first round battles later tonight, but it's still a few hours until the show starts. I need to occupy myself until then.

Eventually, I head outside into the grounds. There is no one inside. It is busier outside, but it seems to be mostly ordinary guests. I get a few odd looks from people as I walk past. It seems everyone is against me. I make my way around the outside of the building to the decorative gardens. As hoped, the gardens are a lot quieter. In a secluded corner of the gardens, I take the chance to let out the three Pokémon I battled with.

"I want to thank you guys," I say to them, "You all did a great job today. You all went through a lot, but you did incredibly. Thank you."

There is a murmur of appreciation. Gourgeist seems quite pleased by the praise. Milotic just looks smug. Crobat, however, isn't interested. It sits on the floor staring at its bandaged wing. It is crushed by losing the ability to fly. I crouch down in front of Crobat and it looks up at me. I can see the sorrow in its eyes.

"It's alright," I say, reaching out a hand to stroke it reassuringly, "You'll be flying again in a few days. I don't care that you won't be battling, I care about you."

I'm lying. I do care that Crobat can't battle. It's impossible to ignore the impact it will have. I have to put that aside though because I do care more about my best friend being alright.

Gourgeist chimes in, seemingly to support what I'm saying. Crobat looks to Gourgeist and then back to me. It looks less down but it is still clearly upset. There's not much more I can say to make things better.

I spend a bit more time with my Pokémon. I attempt to talk with Milotic but it is much more interested in itself. Gourgeist tries to cheer Crobat up with little success, even earning itself a hit from Crobat's good wing in the process. I then return them to their Poké Balls and wander away aimlessly.

Elsewhere in the gardens, as I walk alongside a hedge, I hear noises coming from the other side. I stop to listen. It sounds like someone is exerting themselves and taking blows. My curiosity grows and I continue on the path looking for a gap in the hedge. I soon find my way around the hedge into a large secluded area with a fountain in the middle and benches around the edge. Near the fountain, I spot Shaw, thankfully without his bright orange jacket, and a Hitmonchan.

Shaw is wearing a pair of gloves and raising his arms defensively. The Hitmonchan reaches out to punch him, but Shaw moves an arm to block it. Suddenly, Shaw darts forward and strikes Hitmonchan with his free hand. Hitmonchan recoils and Shaw proceeds to attack with a rapid rally of punches. Then, without warning, Hitmonchan jabs a fist and smacks Shaw in the chest. Shaw is knocked back and holds out a hand indicating to stop.

"Good work Hitmonchan, but you really shouldn't let me hit you so many times," he says. He sounds like he's in pain when he talks.

"Are you alright?" I ask and draw attention to myself. Shaw turns to see me watching.

"Fine compared to how you'd be after a couple of rounds with Hitmonchan," he says.

"What exactly are you doing?" I ask.

"We're training," he says. I probably could have guessed that. It just seems an odd way of training.

"Isn't it dangerous, I mean, fighting your own Pokémon?" I ask.

"No more dangerous or any less useful than fighting another person," he says, "Just this way we both get the valuable experience."

I pause for a moment. A thought nags away at the back of my mind and I slowly build up the courage to ask about it.

"Hey, um, Shaw," I begin awkwardly, "What do you think of my battling style?"

"It's disgusting," Shaw says bluntly.

I freeze. Shaw's words are like a dagger through me. Reading horrible comments on Twitter is one thing, hearing something like that from a fellow competitor who I respect is something else entirely. I wait for him to continue before jumping to any conclusions. I had initially been offended by something he said when we first met but he had managed to justify it in a way to redeem himself. Perhaps he could do it again.

"You seem like a nice enough woman, but what I saw in your battle today suggests you have no respect for Pokémon," he says, "I'm not gonna preach at you, but that sort of thing doesn't go down well in my books."

"I see," I say.

"You didn't deserve all the abuse you got for it, but that's what'll happen when you play that way," he says.

"Thank you," I say quietly and turn around to leave.

"Did I say something wrong?" Shaw asks as I walk away.

I don't respond. It is a bitter pill to swallow. I don't like what I heard. I do respect Pokémon, don't I? I care about my Pokémon, Crobat is my oldest friend, and I apologised to Elin. Other people don't know these things, but I still wonder how the use of status tactics shows a lack of respect.

I trudge back to my hotel room. I am no longer in the mood for anything else. I understand how Crobat feels. We have both been told that we shouldn't do the things we want to, the things we do so well. The only difference is that there is a legitimate reason for Crobat not battling, the injured wing. I see no reason not to battle with status tactics. I've used them for years. I've won tournaments and other accolades with them and there's been no issue over it before. I have been invited to the World Championships and I have reached the top 8. If there was a legitimate reason not to use these tactics then I wouldn't have got this far.

I reach the stairs in the hotel and Raymond is stood by the lift. He stands patiently waiting like he was when I first saw him. He doesn't react to me walking past so I leave him and climb the stairs. As I reach the next floor, I hear the lift open on the ground floor. I look back down and Raymond doesn't move. Instead, Lancelot Elderidge steps out of the lift.

"Good evening, sir," Raymond says, "How did the first day go?"

I stop and listen. That seems like an odd question. Raymond was there. I take a few steps back and look over the railings. I can just see Raymond and Lancelot stood together. Lancelot nods and holds out an arm to gesture for them to walk.

"It is a grand success," Lancelot says, "The Battle Gears all worked well and the trainers put them to good use. There was a moment of worry when that girl collapsed after the first battle."

"That has been put down to exhaustion," Raymond says, "Rumours have been circulating that she had no sleep last night."

"Yes, that is rather fortunate. There could have been some concern…." Lancelot says, but moves out of my earshot so I don't hear the rest.

I keep looking over the railings even though the two people are now out of sight and earshot. It didn't seem like an unusual conversation but something seemed off about it. The wording that Lancelot used. It almost sounded like his concern wasn't about my wellbeing when discussing my collapse. I snap out of it and continue my way up to my room.

I settle down in my room and check out the television. I don't watch a lot of television normally, but I can tell Unova's channels are worse than the ones in Kalos. I want to turn it off very quickly but I want to watch the battles and I have nothing else to entertain myself with until then. The mind numbing rubbish also seems to help distract me from the depressing thoughts of the day.

Eventually, the highlights show hosted by Steven Stone begins. He is joined by Sinnoh's Byron and Johto's Clair to provide analysis of all the battles. I am captivated by Steven. As far as I am concerned, he is the best trainer in the world and he has the looks and charisma to go with it. I am so lost gazing at him that I am suddenly thrown off when the screen changes to show the first battle.

I watch my battle over. I am impressed how well I did to come back into the match with Gourgeist when I was so tired. The commentator also seems impressed by some of my moves. Then the tone seems to change. Using Aqua Ring to deal damage goes down well, but causing another burn and inflicting the torment in Elin turns everyone against me. The commentator is supposed to be neutral, but, from then on, it is clear he too favours Elin.

The battle finishes and I am declared the winner. It is a good feeling. Seeing it over lets me finally celebrate a little. The commentator is putting a sour note on my victory though as he sums up the battle. He is wrapping up his coverage of the battle when I collapse in the stadium and all Hell seems to break lose. There is a mass panic and people rush across the arena to attend to me while the commentator is describing what he sees.

"I am pleased to say that Holly is fine and has made a full recovery," Steven says as the cameras return to the studio. He then turns to the other two. "Obviously the big talking point is Holly's tactics. Does she really deserve all the stick she's getting?"

"Absolutely," Clair says, "She demonstrated that she can battle like anyone else and then switched to these quite frankly brutal tactics that have traumatised that poor boy and left one of his Pokémon blind."

"No, I completely disagree," Byron says, "Elin used a status move before she did. The difference is, he didn't take advantage of it. There is nothing in the rules against these sorts of tactics. Kanto's Elite Koga uses the same sort of strategies and no one's ever called him out on it. In fact, Holly uses those sort of moves all the time in other tournaments and has made it her signature."

"You're missing the point," Clair argues, "Koga has the common decency to not to cause serious permanent damage to his opponent's Pokémon which is why his tactics have got him a place in the Elite 4. Holly is bullying her way to the top and stopping some quality trainers from reaching their potential."

"I'm sure she never meant to cause that sort of damage. She's been around long enough that if she had malicious intent, we would know," Byron says assertively, "I thought she battled excellently and thoroughly deserved her win. She knows her Pokémon well and has found innovative ways of battling with them."

"Well, this is going to continue to be a divisive issue I'm sure," Steven says, "You can have your say on Twitter, as many of you already have, with the hashtag #ewc."

I sit on my bed and try to take in what the Gym Leaders had said about me while they move on to discuss how Elin had battled. It seems even they are divided over how I battle. I like what Byron has said about me. He compared me to a member of an Elite 4, one of the highest compliments a trainer can receive.

I have made up my mind. I am going to stand by my tactics. I am a specialist in status conditions and I will continue that way whether people like it or not. I have no malicious intent so people should have no reason to worry and I will show them that in the next round against Rhianne.

Next up is Rhianne's battle. I grab a pen and some paper and start making notes. I watch the battle carefully, jotting down every move. I want to study this battle properly and understand her style. Her opponent, Kyle Austin, was one of the tournament favourites going into the match and should probably have won the battle. Yet Rhianne managed to somehow pull off a commanding victory. Her strategy appears to focus on preventing the opponent from landing hits. Pulling this off successfully enabled her to beat a stronger opponent. I notice that Crobat would be excellent against this kind of strategy. My heart sinks.

**AN: After all the wonderful comments I've had, I feel bad uploading a chapter that I'm not completely confident in. So I apologise if this feels like filler. Also, don't worry, the battle with Flourette will still happen.**


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6:**

I watch the other two battles. I make notes about Daedalus and Thomas just in case. Thomas' battle is the one that really catches my eye. It is obvious that his hangover affected how he battled, yet he managed to win. It seems Thomas had been fortunate enough to get the easiest tie of the round. His opponent, a boy called Warren, showed little promise and struggled to command his Garchomp. It is a wonder how he even qualified.

With the show finished, I turn off the TV and get into bed. I want to sleep, but it is difficult. I had slept through the middle of the day so my body clock is now all wrong. I do manage to fall asleep but it doesn't last. A couple of hours leaves my body thinking it is done resting. I lie in the darkness begging a higher power to allow me to sleep. My wish is not granted and I eventually give up. Once again, I find myself leaving my room for a change of scenery.

The hotel is quiet, almost silent, and the lights have been dimmed. I slowly wander down a corridor, treading silently so not to wake anyone. I slow even further to a complete halt when I hear noises. They sound unnatural, but they're muffled. I suddenly feel like I'm being watched. I frantically look around. Nothing seems out of the ordinary. I rationalise it and realise that the noises are muffled because they're behind a door. I listen carefully and try to pinpoint which room they're coming from.

The noises stop as I realise which door they were behind. I slowly turn my head to look at the door. Suddenly, a face appears. I am taken by surprise and jump back. I lose my footing and fall onto my rear. I stare back across the corridor at the face. It is small with large gem-like eyes and a menacing grin laughing at my misfortune. I recognise the Pokémon as a Sableye and calm down slightly.

The door opens and I look up to see Daedalus towering over me. He is wearing just jeans and a white vest. It actually makes him look slightly attractive. I also spot a book in his hand with a bookmark sticking out. Why he has a Pokémon out in his room while reading is beyond me. He has a concerned expression, the first emotion beyond disgust or indifference I've seen from him.

"Oh, it's you," he says, "Sorry about that, wretched thing is always playing tricks on people. Are you ok?"

It takes a moment to register what is going on. Daedalus seems like an entirely different person to the one who blanked me before. He even extends an arm to help me up.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I say as I take his hand and get back to my feet.

"Ruined body clock?" he asks. I nod. "Force yourself to stay awake until tomorrow night, then you'll have no problems sleeping a normal night."

"Thanks," I say. It's the obvious thing to do, but I appreciate that he's being nice and offering advice.

"Goodnight Holly," Daedalus says as he forces Sableye back into his room. He then turns and closes the door behind him.

"Wait," I cry out while still trying to stay quiet enough to not wake anyone.

Daedalus stops and opens the door slightly to look at me.

"You called me Holly," I say.

"That's your name, isn't it?"

"Everyone else has been calling me Psycho," I explain.

I am blushing slightly. Daedalus Marlowe of all people has made my night. I never realised that hearing my own name could make me so happy. When I first tried to introduce myself to him, he had been rude. Now, he has revealed himself to be one of the nicer people I've met here.

"Sorry, this is going to sound weird," I begin without thinking, "Would you like to battle tomorrow?"

"We could easily be semi-final opponents in a few days and you want to battle now?" he asks, looking rather confused.

"No, not me, Flourette Lauxand," I say.

"No thanks," Daedalus says and immediately shuts the door.

I sigh. I am not completely surprised by that outcome. It was stupid of me to even bother asking in hindsight. I continue with my aimless wandering around the hotel. The rest is a lot more uneventful.

When the day actually begins, I return to the entrance hall. The competitors for the day's battles are gathering. I am thinking of going with them to watch them battle. I then spot Elin enter. I assume he has come to watch the battles too and go over to him.

"Hey, where are you going?" I ask while walking alongside him as I notice he walks past the group.

"Oh, hey," he says and stops, "I was thinking of going into Nimbasa for the day and seeing some of the sights. Do you want to come too?"

"That's not a bad idea," I say, "I was just going to watch the other first round battles. Are you sure you wouldn't mind me tagging along?"

"No, it'd be nice to have some company," he says.

We are then interrupted by Robin rushing over to us. He lifts up my hand and places a Poké Ball in it. He then gives me that mischievous grin of his.

"What's this?" I ask, looking at the ball.

"Conversation starter," Robin says, "Flourette wants to talk to you, so you can use that to get her attention."

"Robin, what exactly is this?" I ask again.

"Flourette's Ferrothorn," he says, faking innocence, "Third time I've swiped it without her noticing."

"Does she know it's you taking it?" Elin asks.

Robin stops to think for a moment. "Nope."

"Me turning up with her stolen Pokémon isn't exactly going to help matters," I say.

Robin pats me on the back and pushes me in the rough direction of Flourette. I spot her talking to some of the competitors that I don't really recognise. Mark is also in the group but doesn't seem to be taking much interest in the conversation. I walk up to Flourette and the conversation dies down. I hold out the Poké Ball to her and she looks at it for a moment.

"I believe this is yours," I say. Flourette quickly checks her arm and notices there's a Pokémon missing. She smiles and takes the ball back.

"Thank you," she says, "I hope you haven't forgotten our little arrangement. We never agreed a time and place. How about back here after the second round briefing tonight?"

I vaguely remember a mention of a briefing similar to the one on our first night for the people who won in the first round. I don't really know what the point of it is since we know the bracket and who we will face. I simply nod to Flourette and prepare to return to Elin and Robin.

"I do hope you find someone, I'm quite looking forward to it," she says cheerfully.

I can't help but feel she's looking forward to it either way. I walk away and leave her to resume her conversation with the others. Elin and Robin are looking at me with interest.

"What's happening between you two?" Elin asks.

"She's trying to help, it's just not help I want," I explain, "She seems quite opposed to how I battled against you and wants to teach me how to battle 'properly'. She won't take no for an answer though. Unless, of course, I can find someone willing to battle on my behalf who can beat her."

"Why do you need someone to battle on your behalf?" Robin asks, "Is she scared of you?"

"Well, yes," I say bluntly, actually taken by surprise by my answer, "but for the wrong reasons. She's worried I'll put her Pokémon out of action."

"I'd be up for it if we weren't in the same part of the bracket," Robin says, "If we both win then we play next round anyway. Maybe if one of us loses then I'll do it."

"I'll do it," Elin says.

"What?" Robin and I ask simultaneously.

"You shouldn't try and control how other people battle," Elin says defiantly, "I was the one on the end of your tactics so I am the only one with any right to comment on it and I know you didn't mean to hurt me. So, I will battle Flourette for you."

I ask Elin if he's sure. He seems fairly determined about it so I question him no further. We hang around with Robin, mostly listening to him, until it is time for the competitors to depart. We then make our own way to explore Nimbasa City. I mostly follow Elin as we visit all the places he wants to see. I don't really have many arguments with his choices. The Battle Subway is one of the more interesting places we check out. Though most of what we see of it is the associated museum. There is no time in for us to take a ride. Instead, that is something we agree on for another day.

There are several giant screens dotted around the city showing the Elder World Championships. We finally stop long enough to take in what is actually happening on a screen when we have lunch at a riverside café. We catch the conclusion of Flourette's battle. She has won using just one Pokémon. There is a reason people are tipping her to win.

I grow tired in the afternoon and Elin has to keep me from stopping and falling asleep. On reflection, walking around all day only brought about fatigue sooner, even if it kept me from having chance to nod off. We make our way back to the hotel and arrive at the same time as the bus brings back the other trainers from the stadium.

"How did you do?" I ask Robin as he comes to greet us.

"I won, of course," he says, "What else did you expect from a substitute Gym Leader?"

"Substitute Gym Leader?" Elin asks.

"I run the Laverre City Gym while Valerie is away," Robin replies.

"If you're a Gym Leader, how are you in the tournament?" I ask. I remember back to what Raymond had told me when he first invited me.

"It's not my role full time so I don't count," he laughs.

We have some time to kill until the second round briefing so go for an early dinner. Robin's mouth does a good job of keeping me awake, as does the meal. Robin and I then have to leave Elin to go to the meeting.

On our way out of the restaurant, we find Thomas passed out on the bar. Robin disappears and quickly returns with a snooker cue. At first, I want to question him but I watch on with interest. Robin stands at a distance and reaches for Thomas with the cue. After a few pokes in the side, Thomas awakens. He swears and thrashes about, knocking the snooker cue away. It all makes sense.

We manage to calm the drunken beast and try to convince him to come to the meeting. Reluctantly, he accepts and staggers along behind us. Once again, we all meet up in the entrance hall and Raymond leads us to the same room as the first night. Lancelot Elderidge is waiting for us. I eye him suspiciously after what I had overheard the previous night. I can't shake the feeling that there was something not right about that conversation.

Lancelot congratulates us and explains what we mostly already know. The quarter finals are still three against three and will be played over two days. The bracket is brought up again and I now recognise every face on it. I have some degree of familiarity with everyone in the room, whether I want to or not. My match against Rhianne is first up tomorrow morning. Thomas will then battle Daedalus in the afternoon. Robin and Flourette have indeed been paired up, leaving Shaw and Mark as the final match of the round.

With the meeting finished, we all return to the entrance hall where Elin is waiting for us. Once there, most of us stay. Only Thomas, Daedalus and Shaw leave. I stand in the middle of the hall facing Flourette. Rhianne stands next to her while Elin and Robin stand behind me. Mark, for some reason, is watching our confrontation from the side lines.

"So, you showed up," Flourette says with a smile, "And it looks like you've brought some friends. Alright, who's going to battle me?"

"Me," Elin steps forward.

Flourette looks at Elin surprised. She then laughs.

"I must say, I didn't see that one coming," she says.

"So, where is this battle happening?" Robin asks, "I don't see us getting away with it here."

"I had a scout around last night and found just the place. Shall we?" Flourette says and holds out a hand.

We all follow Flourette through the hotel to the lift. We all just about manage to squeeze inside. I continue to wonder what Mark is doing here. Flourette then hits the button for the top floor. The ride to the top is silent and awkward as I stand squashed between Robin and Rhianne.

I am not prepared for what we find when the lift finally stops. The doors slide open to reveal the roof of the hotel. We step out into the orange light of the evening sun. I am too busy admiring the view of the city and the many iconic buildings that stand out to notice what we came for. There is a concrete battlefield with lines painted on taking centre stage on the roof.

Elin and Flourette take their places at either end of the battlefield. Robin and I move over to stand near Elin to show our support while Rhianne does the same at the other end. Mark crosses the battlefield and stands in the middle on the far side. It appears that Mark is here to referee the battle. I look over to Flourette thinking she had this all planned out but she seems just as surprised by Mark's presence.

"This will be a one on one battle with no time limit. Trainers, activate your Battle Gears," Mark declares.

Elin and Flourette raise their arms to set up the battle on the devices strapped to their wrists. They then take a moment to select their Pokémon. After a moment of intense thought, they both tap the screen and nod to indicate they are ready. Elin picks a Poké Ball from his belt while Flourette grabs hers from the strap on her other arm.

"Begin!"


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7:**

"Go, Serperior!"

"Go, Ferrothorn!"

The two Pokémon take to the battlefield and prepare to fight. The green serpentine Pokémon is on Elin's side while the thorny metallic Pokémon rests in front of Flourette.

"This looks like a bad match up," Robin says sounding concerned.

He is right. I think back to Elin's full team and realise that Flourette has made an excellent choice. Ferrothorn is the best option against anything Elin has while presumably something else she has might have a weakness at Elin's disposal. Ferrothorn is strong defensively and thrives in close combat and has a strong natural advantage against the only things in Elin's team that don't rely on being close. This looks bad.

"Let's start with Coil," Elin says.

Serperior raises its head proudly and twists its body into several coils. It is preparing itself for the battle to come, heightening its abilities. With the opponent as it is, Serperior will need all the advantages it can give itself.

"Spikes," Flourette calls simply with her ever present smile widening.

Ferrothorn uses the appendages coming from its head to start rotating itself. As it spins, the spikes sticking out of its body are launched as projectiles. The spikes scatter all over the battlefield. Ferrothorn stops spinning and a new set of spikes grow out of the holes left behind.

Both trainers have made their opening moves to set themselves up. Elin is trying to power himself up to be in with a chance of standing up to Flourette's Ferrothorn. Flourette, meanwhile, has taken control of the battlefield. Ferrothorn will rarely move from its starting position and, with its tough metallic body, won't even be scratched by the spikes lying around. However, Serperior will be moving a lot and will now have to contend with a seemingly endless maze to weave through.

"Serperior, Aerial Ace," Elin orders.

Elin and Serperior haven't realised the significance of Flourette's play. Serperior darts forward with incredible speed. As it approaches Ferrothorn, it launches itself into the air and prepares to strike from above.

"Power Whip!" Flourette shouts urgently.

Ferrothorn reacts on command and one of its green appendages extends. It whips Serperior while it is still in mid-air. Serperior comes crashing to the ground and lands on a few spikes, forcing it to reposition itself while still coming to terms with the pain it is in. Serperior has taken a lot more damage than the attack should normally do. Then I spot the scratches all over Serperior's body. It had charged straight through the field of spikes.

"And your tactics are morally questionable?" Robin asks me. He has spotted it as well.

"She'll justify it to herself as a field advantage," I say, "She didn't cause it to happen, Elin walked straight into it."

Elin looks terrified. His Pokémon is getting up slowly, but he hasn't ordered another attack. How bad the situation is seems to have finally dawned on him and it's crushing him.

"Gyro Ball," Flourette says.

Ferrothorn starts spinning again. This time it's a lot faster. The spinning Ferrothorn starts moving around and catches several spikes in its spin. The spikes are thrown off in all directions. Serperior doesn't have enough time to notice and dodge. The spikes hit Serperior in several places and send it crashing back to the ground. It lets out a horrifying shriek of pain that causes me to cringe and look away.

"Serperior, use Aqua Tail on the ground," Elin shouts with determination.

Something seems to have awoken in Elin and his Pokémon reacts to it. I watch in wonder to see what he's planning. Serperior's eyes shoot open and it swings the end of its tail. The end of its tail glows blue as it slams into the ground. A wave of water spreads out from Serperior's tail in all directions. The water washes all the spikes away and crashes against Ferrothorn. Ferrothorn's spin halts and it tips over.

"Get back up and use Gyro Ball," Flourette says desperately as her Pokémon rocks precariously on its side. Its spikes are just about stopping it from falling in either direction.

"Aerial Ace," Elin calls.

Serperior reacts immediately and quickly follows up on its previous attack. It charges forward once again and slams into the underside of Ferrothorn. Ferrothorn topples over, landing upside down and crushing most of it appendages. The discs at the end of the appendages stick out from beneath the upturned Pokémon and tamely attempt to flip it back over.

Eventually, Ferrothorn gives up on trying to get back up. Flourette isn't sure what to do. Her Pokémon is unable to move. Both trainers look to their Battle Gears. They likely show that both Pokémon are still able to battle. There is a moment of confusion as everyone looks to each other hoping for a resolution.

"Ferrothorn is unable to battle, Serperior and Elin win!" Mark steps forward and declares.

"This isn't over," Flourette says, "We'll have a rematch someday and I will finish you off. But for now, a deal is a deal."

Robin and I go over to congratulate Elin as both trainers return their Pokémon. Then everyone gathers in the middle of the battlefield. Flourette offers me a handshake and I gladly take it.

"You're alright Wexler," she says, "Regardless of the result of this battle, I was going to let you do as you please. You have enough conviction in your beliefs about how you battle to face a challenge to it and convince someone who suffered at the hands of it to fight for you. I like that."

"Thank you," I say.

"Reynold, you still owe me a rematch though, I'm not going to take this lying down," Flourette says with a determined grin and points to Elin.

Flourette then makes her way to the lift. We are left facing Rhianne.

"So, are you up for our battle tomorrow?" I ask.

"Of course, I want to win as much as anyone so I've got to get through you," she says. She sounds fired up ahead of our battle. It seems there was never any doubt about me and the whole thing was all a bit of fun. If the battle hadn't been entertaining to watch then I might have struggled to see the funny side.

The whole experience has caused me a lot of unnecessary stress. It is over now and a great weight is lifted from my shoulders. It seems the other competitors are not as concerned with how I battle as they had first come across. We head back down into the hotel and I make my way to my room. I feel like I can finally relax and get some sleep ahead of my battle.

I actually manage to sleep and wake up feeling better than I have felt since arriving in Nimbasa City. As I get ready for the day ahead, I catch a glimpse of a smile in my reflection. There is good reason for it to be there. I am ready to battle Rhianne. I even detect a hint of confidence. I have to battle without Crobat, but I am now ready to use my status techniques with pride. If the crowd want to call me a Status Psycho then I will let them. I'll wear it as a badge of honour.

I head down to the entrance hall to find Elin and all of the quarter finalists gathered. It seems we're at the stage where everyone is starting to believe and wants to scout potential opponents. The battles will also likely be of a higher standard than in the first round. Everyone has proven themselves now. Almost everyone…

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" Thomas cries out as Raymond impatiently guides him to join us.

"You are going to need to sober up soon," Raymond says. He sounds irritated and Thomas looks drunk. How early did he start drinking?

"I know, I know!" Thomas slurs, "I'm battling Day… Damien… Dianne… Dragon man!"

"Dragon man?" I ask.

"No idea. He's drunk, it all makes sense to him," Robin says, "I hope he doesn't sober up, it'll make great entertainment."

I look around for Daedalus. As expected, he is stood away from the group waiting. He is avoiding everyone and doesn't look too impressed by what is happening. After meeting him the other night, I wonder if it's all an act. He is watching Thomas and looks like he could explode with rage at any moment. Robin might be onto something about entertainment.

Thomas is bundled onto the bus and then the rest of us follow. When we arrive at the stadium, the crowd to greet us is smaller than last time but no less excited. That is, until I step off the bus. Boos ring out. I force a smile. I want to make it look like I am feeding on the hatred thrown at me to put them off. Deep down, it is getting to me. I want to stay confident but it's just so hard to ignore what is happening around me. A plastic bottle flies over the fence and bounces on the ground in front of my feet. That was intended to hit me.

"Silence them," I hear Flourette say behind me.

At first, I think she's talking to me. I don't quite know how to react and keep walking. A deafening roar rips through the air and everyone stops. Thomas grabs his head in pain and swears loudly. The booing falls silent and everyone looks up. A Salamence is circling above us all.

"You should all be ashamed," Flourette shouts to the crowd, "I put a test to Holly Wexler and she is not the horrible one, you lot are. She's here competing, providing you with entertainment. Show her a bit more respect or actually do something to prove you're better than her."

There is a stunned silence. All eyes are on Flourette and follow her as she smiles and resumes walking into the stadium. She returns her Salamence and then disappears through the doors. I quickly follow her inside with the others not far behind. I hear the crowd regaining its voice but I can't gauge the mood once inside.

"Don't bother thanking me, just go battle," Flourette says as I walk up to her.

I nod and obey. I enter the trainers' room and begin to mentally prepare myself. Rhianne takes a seat while Daedalus stands in a corner. Thomas flops face forward onto a sofa and proceeds to rummage in his bag. A glass bottle of clear liquid emerges from the bag. It doesn't look like water.

"Is no one going to stop him?" I ask.

I get no response so take action myself. I walk over to Thomas and grab the bottle out of his loose grip. He lifts his face from the sofa and scowls at me.

"I was… I was drinking that," he hiccups.

"You've had enough for today," I say.

"I'm old enough to look after myself, mum," he says.

"Clearly not," I say and carry the bottle away at arm's length to keep the smell from my nostrils.

I hide the bottle in one of the cubicles then go back to attend to Thomas. However, Raymond returns to collect me and Rhianne for our battle. I slap Thomas' face to try and knock some level of consciousness into him before quickly stepping back to avoid the backlash.

"Daedalus, please look after him," I say, "Try get him to sober up, or at least just keep him away from any more."

"No," Daedalus says simply, "He sickens me."

I don't have time to argue. I have to abandon Thomas and, once again, try to refocus my thoughts to my upcoming battle. Rhianne is calm as we stand together in the tunnel. I try to calm myself. My strategy should be straight forward. All I have to do is inflict some status and let her Pokémon wear themselves down while avoiding everything else. Sadly, battles at this level are never that simple.

The announcer declares our names and we step out into the arena again. The atmosphere is so different to the first time. It seems tense. This crowd are obviously willing and prepared to turn on me. Though I spot a corner of the crowd still showing support for me and I focus on them to calm my nerves.

I take my place opposite Rhianne and activate my Battle Gear as instructed by the referee. We are then told to select our three Pokémon each. I have only used the Battle Gear twice before but it feels wrong to see my team lined up without Crobat. I was given the option to substitute Crobat out of my tournament roster for something else, but then it would eliminate even the slightest chance I have of using it in the semi-finals should I get that far. I don't want to give up hope. Now, I only have five to choose from and, as with every battle, I instantly eliminate one. Before I even look at Rhianne's team, I only have four Pokémon to choose from. It is a simple question of which one to leave behind instead of which three to take.

I tap my three choices and then wait for Rhianne to decide. I am ready. I don't know Rhianne as well as I knew Elin. I have no doubts in my mind holding me back. I am going to go full out to prove to the world that I am no psychopath.


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8:**

"Begin!" the referee declares. We each grab a Poké Ball and launch it forward.

"Go, Magcargo," I call.

"Go, Ress," Rhianne says and an Electivire emerges from its ball.

Electivire doesn't seem like the sort of Pokémon that will be avoiding everything thrown at it. I hadn't seen it in Rhianne's first round battle. Perhaps I misjudged her team's strategy. Either way, I can work with the current match up. Rhianne doesn't look too concerned by it either, so this is how it will be.

"Magcargo, Will-o-Wisp," I order immediately.

Magcargo opens its mouth wide and purple flames stream out. As might have been expected, portions of the crowd begin to boo.

"Jump and use Thunder," Rhianne calls.

Electivire bends its knees and then launches itself into the air. The purple flames converge where Electivire had previously been. Electivire cries out and fires a large blast of electricity towards Magcargo. It strikes to the ground next to my Pokémon. A couple of sparks fly off to the sides and bounce off Magcargo's shell.

"Will-o-Wisp again," I order quickly.

Electivire has less chance to avoid as it lands and the flames scorch its body. The crowd doesn't like it, but I don't care. With Electivire afflicted by one of my status moves, I switch my attention to attacking and forcing it to move which should in turn make its accuracy worse.

"Earth Power!" I call to Magcargo.

Magcargo concentrates its strength into the ground and the battlefield begins to shake. Cracks start appearing and dust and rocks fly up at Electivire.

"Light Screen," Rhianne says sounding suddenly desperate.

Electivire raises its arms and mimes a wall. There is a flash of light in front of it as rocks pound against the invisible wall. The dust whipped up is diverted around Electivire and Rhianne quickly covers her mouth with an arm while rummaging in her satchel with her other hand. As the dust settles, she pulls out an inhaler and has to use it. I am suddenly thrown the question of what to do if Rhianne needs an inhaler. I know that plenty of my moves through the course of the battle could whip up dust. Using them could come across as trying to trigger whatever her exact condition is. I also have the issue of attacking while she uses the inhaler. She can't respond to counter. Would that be seen as unfair?

"Magcargo, Ancient Power," I say, having reached the conclusion that the crowd already hates me.

Magcargo's eyes glow and large rocks are ripped from the ground. They rise up and float in the air. Electivire panics and looks to its trainer as the rocks rain down on it. The Light Screen does little to protect it from a bombardment from all directions. Electivire screeches as the rocks pound its burns.

I look to my Battle Gear. Electivire is still far from finished. Rhianne is finished with her inhaler and now looks at me with a mix of anger and disgust. The rage quickly fades to despair, but she still doesn't act.

"Let's be merciful," I say, "Yawn."

Magcargo's mouth stretches wide open as it lets out a long and loud yawn. The yawn is contagious and Electivire finds itself yawning and becoming drowsy. I too find myself yawning and have to slap myself across the face to stay focused.

"How is this merciful?" Rhianne asks as her Pokémon falls to the floor to take a nap.

"It won't be awake to suffer the end," I say, "Earth Power."

Once again, the battlefield rumbles and cracks. Debris shoots up and rains down on the sleeping Electivire. The attack continues and I watch the bar on my Battle Gear drain. Electivire is declared defeated and Rhianne returns it. Reluctantly, she reaches for a second Poké Ball.

"Go, Lion," she says. I am thrown off by the nickname. A Drapion appears and begins to scuttle around the ravaged battlefield.

"Will-o-Wisp," I say.

Magcargo unleashes its purple flames again. Drapion is constantly moving and easily dodges. It keeps moving, waiting for an attack order that never comes. Rhianne doesn't move. She just continues to watch in despair. I order a repeat attack until it hits. On the third attempt, Drapion's arm swings through the flames and emerges a searing red.

Hitting Drapion's arm is one of the best things that could have happened. Now if Rhianne does decide to attack then Drapion will struggle with one of its arms. However, Rhianne says nothing. She looks down and clenches her fists.

"Earth Power," I order.

It is easier for Magcargo to hit with this attack. Predicting where Drapion will move, the ground beneath it erupts and throws it into the air. It crashes back down in a heap and looks back to its trainer for inspiration.

"Flamethrower," I call, hoping to follow up quickly.

Magcargo edges closer and fire pours from its mouth. The fire just about reaches across the battlefield to Drapion. Drapion's burnt arm takes the brunt of the attack and an ear-splitting cry fills the stadium. This earns me a lot more booing from the stands. Rhianne still isn't responding.

"Why aren't you attacking?" I shout at her.

"What's the point?" she asks.

"You're just going to give up?" I spit, "I thought you wanted to win this whole thing."

"I wanted to…" she says.

"If you're going to give up then just surrender," I shout, "Don't put your Pokémon through this."

"Maybe you're right," she says and raises a hand to her Battle Gear. He hand hovers over it but she doesn't do anything.

"Fight back, you coward!" I shout as Magcargo attacks with Flamethrower again.

"Why?" Rhianne asks as her Pokémon falls to the floor again, clearly taking a beating, "I thought you wanted me to surrender."

"That whole thing with Flourette," I say, "I thought you wanted me to be a challenge for you."

"I did…" she says weakly.

"Well here I am challenging you," I shout, "The least you could do is be a challenge in return."

Meanwhile, Drapion is struggling. It can't take any more attacks. Magcargo has noticed this and the fact neither trainer is concentrating on what is happening. It stands and watches as Drapion finally gives in and collapses. The referee declares Drapion defeated.

"What was the point in that?" I ask angrily, "Why did you let your Pokémon go through that? I'm supposed to be the monster here!"

"Lion… I'm sorry," Rhianne says as she returns her defeated Pokémon.

There is a pause. Rhianne is hesitant to send out her final Pokémon. She holds the Poké Ball in her hand and stares at it. The referee has to threaten her with disqualification if she doesn't send it out soon.

"You're right Holly, you are the monster and I've got to stop you," Rhianne says. That isn't quite the response I was hoping for, but at least it sounds like she's going to battle again. "Go, Minx."

Rhianne's final Pokémon is a Jynx. Even though she has a renewed battling spirit, I am feeling confident.

"Minx, use Attract," Rhianne says.

Jynx glides across the battlefield towards Magcargo and appears to be flirting. Magcargo leans forward with its mouth hanging open. Drops of lava fall from Magcargo's mouth like drool as it watches Jynx move.

"Oh come on Magcargo, you can do better than her," I say, "She's not even your type. Use Flamethrower."

Magcargo shakes its head, outright refusing to obey, and makes its way over to Jynx. Jynx welcomes Magcargo with open arms. Jynx places its hands on Magcargo's cheeks and moves in for a kiss. However, it stops and quickly pulls itself away. Jynx's hands are burning. I can't help but laugh as Jynx cries out in pain and waves its hands about while Magcargo has its eyes closed and is smooching thin air still expecting Jynx's love.

"Minx, use Ice Beam on your burns," Rhianne says.

Jynx holds out its hands and a crackling blue orb appears between them. Light blue sparks jump to both hands, encasing them in ice. Jynx sighs in relief as the pain is relieved. Meanwhile, I choose to switch Pokémon. Magcargo is hopelessly in love so retreating him would be the best option. The whole incident has got some laughs from the crowd which make a nice change from the constant booing.

"Go, Milotic," I say and send out my next Pokémon.

My confidence is restored after that brief scare. Milotic has a slight advantage over Jynx. What I'm more concerned about though is Attract. Milotic shouldn't be too affected by it as I am convinced it is already in love with itself.

"Scald its hands," I say.

Milotic rears its head back and then launches its attack. Boiling water sprays over Jynx's frozen hands and the ice begins to melt.

"Psybeam," Rhianne orders.

"Protect," I counter.

Milotic raises its tail like a shield. Jynx holds out its hands again as the ice drips away and the air between the two Pokémon ripples with colour. The ripples collide with a barrier just above Milotic's tail and dissipate.

"Scald," I say and Milotic switches to the offensive.

The second attack finishes what the first started. The ice coating Jynx's hands melts, exposing the burns to boiling hot water. Jynx channels its attacks through its hands, so targeting them makes it difficult for it to attack.

"You wanted to use Ice Beam to cool down?" I ask jokingly, "Milotic, let's help."

The momentum is with Milotic. A thin blast of blue light shoots across the battlefield and hits Jynx in the chest. Jynx topples over backwards and falls to the floor. Milotic is ready to follow up with another attack. We are getting closer.

"Scald!" I shout. I want Milotic to make sure this is the finishing move.

Jynx's eyes widen as a wave of scalding water sweeps over it. The bar on my Battle Gear empties. It is over. It suddenly dawns on me what I have achieved. I am in the top four.

"The winner, and first semi-finalist, is Holly Wexler!" the announcer declares.

There is a round of applause and a mix of cheers and boos. I continue to divide the crowd, but the audible cheers make me believe that I have swayed some opinions. Rhianne and I return our Pokémon and meet in the middle for the customary handshake.

"It's a shame you couldn't give me such a good battle with your Drapion," I say to her.

"Yeah, well, maybe we can some other time. You know, when the tournament's over," she says.

"I'd like that, no pressure," I say.

"Now go out there and win so I can at least say I lost to the champion," she says.

Together, we walk back to the tunnel. I am tired now after that battle. It had been hard work to overcome Rhianne even if the final result didn't suggest that. I am looking forward to relaxing and watching the next quarter final match.

We return to the trainers' room and I instantly fling myself onto a seat to relax. I close my eyes and take a deep breath. When I open my eyes again, I take a look around the room. Daedalus is stood against the wall watching the television coverage of the tournament. I don't think he has moved since I left. Thomas, meanwhile, is lying on a sofa with his eyes closed and mumbling gibberish.

I sigh and look over to the TV. There is a panel of famous Pokémon trainers discussing my battle in depth. I don't really care what they are saying. All I wanted to know was that there is still time until Thomas and Daedalus battle. I then remember the battlefield. Magcargo tore it up quite a bit. It will need maintenance before the next battle can happen. There is still time.

I get up and find the bottle I had confiscated from Thomas earlier. It is now empty and lying on the floor. I take it to the bathroom and fill it with water from the sink. I then return to where Thomas is semi-conscious. Rhianne and Daedalus both look towards me with a keen interest in what is about to happen.

I pluck the lopsided glasses from Thomas' face so they don't get in the way. Then, I take a deep breath and tip the cold water over Thomas.


	10. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9:**

"Ah, what the Hell?" Thomas cries out and sits up.

"Thomas, get up," I say.

"Why?" he asks.

"You've got a big battle coming up soon, you need to sober up," I say.

"I'll be fine, I know what I'm doing," he says and waves dismissively.

"I'm not convinced, put these on," I say and hold out his glasses.

I watch as he grabs the glasses from my outstretched hand and tries to put them on his face. He struggles as the glasses are upside down so they slide off. I pluck them from him again and twist them the right way up before slotting them into place.

"You can't even put on a pair of glasses, you're in no fit state to battle," I say angrily and thrust the bottle towards him, "Now, drink."

"Don't mind if I do," he says. His eyes light up as he recognises the bottle. He snatches it from my hand and starts to gulp it down. He stops drinking rather abruptly and spits some of the water out.

"What is this, have you spiked my drink?" he asks.

"It's water," I say, "Now, shut up and drink it."

"Fine mum, but only because I love you," he groans and starts to drink from the bottle again.

I sigh and look to the others. Rhianne is snickering away while Daedalus just glares at Thomas. I do what I can to try and get Thomas to sober up, but it seems to have little effect by the time he has to go to his battle. Raymond comes to tell the two trainers that it is time for them to make their way to the arena. Daedalus instantly heads for the tunnel. Thomas, on the other hand, has a bit more difficulty.

Slowly, Thomas gets to his feet. He groans and holds his head with one hand and the bottle with the other. Suddenly, there is a loud thud as Thomas falls flat on his face. I rush over to be at his side. Rhianne gets out of her seat instinctively to help but pauses. I take the bottle from Thomas and put it aside. It clearly isn't going to make much difference at this point.

He tries to get back to his feet but struggles. Eventually, I lift his arm over my shoulders to support him. He is a lot bigger than me, but I can just about manage to help him up. It seems I have to help him walk out of the room.

"Are you serious?" Daedalus asks as we stand next to him in the tunnel.

"Where's the fun in letting you win by default?" I ask. Thomas grunts something that sounds approving.

"Next up, fighting for a semi-final match against Holly… It's Daedalus Marlowe against Thomas Byrne," the announcer declares.

This is our cue. Somewhere between leading and dragging, I walk Thomas out of the tunnel and into the arena. This is definitely not what the crowd were expecting to see. There are a mix of reactions from all sides as I guide Thomas to his place at the end of the battlefield.

"Are you going to be alright to stand on your own?" I ask.

"Uh, yeah, sure," Thomas says without even a trace of confidence in what he's saying.

I slide out from beneath Thomas' arm and let him stand freely. He stays upright to my relief. The referee asks the trainers to activate their Battle Gears. Thomas is more than a little confused by this so I grab his wrist. His Battle Gear looks damaged. The screen is coming loose from the strap and there is a crack in the casing.

"What have you done to this?" I ask. Thankfully the device still works.

"Uh, fiddled about," he says.

"Ok, select three Pokémon," I say to him.

"Miss Wexler, please vacate the battlefield so the trainers may begin," the referee says to me.

"Sorry, looks like you're on your own," I say to Thomas and step away from the battlefield.

Thomas looks at the screen in front of him and scratches his head. He taps at the screen a few times. I wonder if he has managed to put any thought into his selection. The referee calls for the battle to begin and Thomas reaches for his Poké Balls. His Battle Gear informs him of invalid selections until he grabs the correct ball for his first Pokémon.

"Who do you think you are turning up to battle in this state?" Daedalus asks.

"Oh, I have a thing for that," Thomas says and reaches into his jacket pocket. He pulls out a slip of paper and reads from it, "Uh, Thomas Byrne."

Daedalus snorts at the response and continues to glare. Thomas stuffs the paper back into his pocket and they begin.

"Come on Flygon, let's show him a thing or two," Daedalus says and sends out his first Pokémon.

"Uh, go," Thomas says awkwardly. It seems he doesn't even know what selection he's made. An Exploud bursts from the Poké Ball. "Ah, Romulan, yes. Good choice."

"Dragon Claw," Daedalus orders.

"Boom, boom, boom!" Thomas shouts and stretches his arms out into the sky.

I am confused. Is Thomas ordering an attack? Flygon surges forward with claws outstretched and glowing in a mysterious aura. Exploud doesn't even think of moving. It prepares itself and then unleashes something I am not prepared for, Boomburst. The sound that comes from Exploud's mouth can only be described as an explosion. I have to plug my ears and I am not even facing the brunt of the attack. Shock waves tear through the air and throw Flygon back across the battlefield. Daedalus covers his ears and digs his feet into the floor to stay standing. His glaring has turned to a look of horror as he watches Flygon crash to the ground.

"Flygon, come back," he says and holds out a Poké Ball as the noise dies down, "Go, Scizor."

Flygon looked far from beaten. I assume the switch is an attempt to better deal with Boomburst. If Thomas were sober, I would think that he's in a pretty good position. As it is, the battle seems impossible to call.

"That was silly, Romulan knows Fire Blast," Thomas says.

It certainly didn't sound like a command, but Exploud responds to it. I can only assume Thomas' Pokémon are actually used to this sort of thing. Exploud prepares itself, breathing in with the pipes on its back, and then throws its mouth open. Thankfully, there is no painful noise this time. A torrent of flames explodes from Exploud's mouth and heads directly for Scizor.

"What?" Daedalus cries out in horror.

The metallic bug is consumed by the fire. I suspect that ordinarily Scizor would have been able to avoid the attack. However, Daedalus and, by extension, his Pokémon seem to have been caught completely off guard by Thomas' ability to battle in his current state. Scizor collapses, its body glowing from the heat. In a single blow, it is unable to battle. This appears to be a wakeup call for Daedalus. He can no longer be so complacent.

Flygon returns to Daedalus' side of the field. I can see Daedalus thinking hard now. A strategy is formulating itself.

"Flygon, Earthquake," he calls.

I brace myself, having been toppled the last time this attack was used in my presence. Flygon slams itself to the ground intentionally and the battlefield shakes. I manage to hold my balance. Thomas wobbles all over the place but manages to stay on his feet. Exploud is knocked over by chunks of the earth that erupt from beneath it.

"Sandstorm," Daedalus says to follow up quickly.

Flygon's wings beat furiously to whip up the wind. The wind carries the dust from the battlefield and soon the arena is a sandy blur. I have to cover my mouth so I don't breathe in the sand. Thomas shouts something but I don't hear what. I am distracted by shrieks from the crowd as the people in the first few rows retreat up the stands away from the sandstorm.

I can't see Flygon through the storm, but I can make out Exploud as it is still close to Thomas. It picks itself up and prepares to attack again. However, when it tries to launch whichever attack it was planning, it coughs out clouds of dust. This is Daedalus' strategy in action. Filling Exploud's air intake with sand stops it from attacking.

"Dragon Claw," Daedalus calls out. This is all he needs to do now. Unless Thomas has the sense and coordination to switch, Daedalus just needs to rain attacks down on Exploud until it is defeated.

Flygon slices through the storm and deals a devastating blow to Exploud. Daedalus doesn't need to rain attacks on it. That will do. The referee, who is barely visible from where I stand, has to prompt Thomas to recall his defeated Pokémon and send out another.

"Oh hey, it's Raldo," Thomas says as a Donphan appears. His face lights up. It seems he's had an idea. "Maybe Rapid Spin can clear the sand!"

It sounds like Thomas is starting to get into the battle. I'm not sure I would have ever thought of his idea or actually used it, but it almost seems crazy enough to work. Donphan curls up into a ball and begins to spin on the spot. The sand around Donphan starts to follow its spin. Soon the entire storm is circling with Donphan. It isn't clearing the storm, it's controlling it.

Donphan catches on to what is happening and, without a command, moves to attack. It controls its spin to move towards Flygon. As Donphan gets closer to its target, Flygon is sucked inside the vortex. I breathe in the clear air that has returned and watch as Flygon tries to escape. Suddenly, Donphan stops spinning and the sandstorm loses all of its momentum. Flygon is freed unexpectedly and plunges to the floor. The sand slowly circles before falling on top on Flygon and Donphan, burying the two.

There is a cheery trumpeting as Donphan's trunk sticks out of the pile of sand. The rest of its body soon follows. Flygon stays buried and is declared defeated. Incredibly, Thomas is winning. Daedalus is down to his final Pokémon.

"Come forth, Greninja," Daedalus says and his final Pokémon emerges. It seems different to most Pokémon. There is something about it, a determined expression that suggests it is battle hardened. If anything can turn the tides of this battle then it is this particular Greninja.

"Oh, I have one of those, hold on," Thomas says and reaches for his Poké Balls again.

Amazingly, Thomas knows which ball his last is and he knows what is inside it. Has he been making out that he is in a worse state than he really is? He successfully switches Donphan for a Greninja of his own, Froggo as he calls it.

"Bounce," Daedalus orders. In a blink of the eye, his Greninja vanishes. I tilt my head up to see it hovering in the sky, preparing to strike its opposite number down.

"Ice Beam," Thomas responds. He is definitely more sober than when the battle started. Perhaps the atmosphere and the battle are bringing him to his senses.

Thomas' Greninja stretches out a hand and a light blue beam fires from its palm. The other Greninja moves with lightning speed to avoid it, but in doing so misses its own target.

"Dark Pulse," Daedalus says.

"Mat Block," Thomas counters.

Daedalus' Greninja prepares itself to attack and Thomas' Greninja responds by kicking at the floor. The dust on the battlefield at its feet rises up to create a barrier.

"Feint Attack," Daedalus says suddenly.

His Greninja hadn't even launched its Dark Pulse when it switches its attack. It darts forward with a palm stretches out. It bursts through the other Greninja's protection and smacks it directly in the chest. Thomas watches his Greninja get thrown back and hit the floor.

"Water Shuriken," Daedalus calls out.

"Yeah, that," Thomas says and points.

Daedalus' Greninja raises a hand and stars made of water appear at the ends of its fingers. With a flick of the wrist, it throws the stars at Thomas' Greninja. Thomas' Greninja has only just got to its feet but holds out its hands and manages to catch every shuriken. It then adds its own and throws them all back. Daedalus' Greninja tries to avoid the onslaught but is caught by several of the stars.

"Let's tie him up and finish 'em off!" Thomas says.

I have no idea what he's on about. His Greninja seems to be attacking somehow, then a pair of oversized blades of grass suddenly grow on the battlefield. They wrap themselves around Daedalus' Greninja's legs and tie up in a knot. With its legs tied together, Daedalus' Greninja can't move and falls over.

"Break it with Water Shuriken," Daedalus says.

However, Thomas' Greninja is already on the attack. It moves in close and launches a powerful Hydro Pump. There is nothing Daedalus can do. Everyone is stunned as Thomas is declared victorious. Against all odds, he gained a commanding lead while drunk and managed to sober up enough to finish in style.

I remember hearing the television while trying to sort him out for his battle. While never winning a tournament, Thomas Byrne has never failed to reach the semi-finals. I have now seen first-hand why he has such an impressive record and I have to face him next.


	11. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10:**

I sit on the edge of the fountain in the secluded part of the hotel's gardens. There are plenty of benches to choose from, but I want to be close to the soothing sound of running water. I hold up a Poké Ball and let Crobat out. It sits on the floor in front of me, still looking rather down. It's been a couple of days but it is still upset by its injury.

"How are you doing?" I ask.

Crobat looks at me with sorrowful eyes and seems to mutter something quietly.

"Don't worry, we won," I say.

Sorrow turns to surprise and Crobat suddenly looks relieved. As I suspected, it had picked up on my doubts about winning without it and had felt guilty. I reach out and stroke Crobat's head softly. It seems quite happy about it now. Only the smile fades quickly. The realisation dawns on me too. I need six Pokémon in order to battle Thomas.

"I want you to be my sixth Pokémon as much as you do," I say, "The nurse says you can take the bandages off tomorrow. Why not try flying?"

Crobat pauses for a moment. It then raises both of its wings. This is the important first step. It doesn't look in any discomfort doing so. The wings beat a few times and Crobat gradually rises off the ground. Crobat manages to hover at eye level with me. I stare into its eyes and see the pain it is in. I jump forward with arms outstretched and catch Crobat as its wings give up.

"It's ok, I won't force you," I say and hold Crobat tightly in my arms.

I close my eyes and try to hold back the tears. I have come so far. I am now in the semi-finals. I can start to believe that I have a chance of winning, but I can't. I need Crobat. Not just for its skills in battle, but also the emotional support its presence provides. I am thankful my battle with Rhianne went the way it did. It could have gone so differently because I didn't have Crobat.

I can feel my top getting slightly damp. Crobat is also crying. This is wrong. Crobat is not itself. It needs me as much as I need it. As close as we are in this embrace, we have never been further from each other. We want to help, but there is nothing but lies and empty promises.

"We'll find a way," I say to Crobat, trying desperately to reassure it.

"I guess I was wrong," a familiar voice says.

I open my eyes and look up to see Shaw standing with a Throh. I quickly rub my eyes to be rid of any tears. It is futile trying to hide that I've been crying though. I don't know how long he's been stood there. He could have seen the whole thing for all I know. I assume he's here for another evening training session with his Pokémon.

"I thought you had no respect for Pokémon and your battle today simply reaffirmed that," he says, "But this… You really do care. That is no ordinary bond with a Pokémon. I should have seen it before, that's the sort of bond that enables Crobat's evolution."

"Stop being so good at justifying all the horrible things you say to me," I scream, overcome by emotion. It might not have been the correct choice of words, but the message seems to get through.

"I guess I owe you an apology," Shaw says, unaffected by my sudden outburst.

"No," I say, calming down, "You make it too hard for me to not forgive you. I can't care about what anyone thinks of me anyway. Where would I be if I did? Certainly not the semi-finals."

"I guess that's true," Shaw laughs. I don't feel in the mood for laughing.

"I'm sorry for shouting at you," I say, "I'll leave you to your training."

I start to walk away with Crobat in my arms. I pass Shaw and his Throh, then leave through the gap in the hedge. Shaw suddenly calls back to me.

"Hey, I wanted to say congratulations on winning today," he calls to me, "And good luck in the rest of the competition."

"Thank you," I say and turn back to face him again, "You too. Maybe we can face in the final?"

"Sure thing," he says, "you keep your side of the bargain and I'll keep mine. Then I can show you how to really battle."

I nod and let Shaw get on with his training. I return Crobat to its ball for some more rest and head back to the hotel. I still have a couple of days before the semi-finals for Crobat to recover, but the signs are not looking good. I have to prepare myself for the event that I need to replace it in my roster.

Back in the hotel, I ask the receptionist on duty about using a computer. I sign a list of users and am then told where to go. The computers are in small cubicles with curtains in the area outside the restaurant. Only one curtain is closed. I check the other cubicles until I find the computer with a webcam and microphone next to it on the desk. There is usually one. Thankfully, I find it.

I sit down and turn on the computer. It is an old PC for public use so takes some time to load up. I spend the time getting comfortable in the tightly compacted space and setting up the webcam and mic. When the computer starts responding, I open up Skype to find the previous user had stayed logged in. I ignore the messages that suddenly start flooding in and log out. Once on my own account, I check to see who is online. I smile as I see the person I want is in fact online. I adjust my appearance and start a call.

It takes a moment for the call to be answered. When it is, a video feed of a young girl with long blonde hair in bright pink pyjamas appears. I jolt back in my seat, taken by surprise at who answered the call.

"Hey, Holly!" the girl screams down the microphone. I quickly adjust the volume on the speakers.

"Hey Melissa," I say, faking a smile.

"We got to watch your battle in school today, you did great!" she cheers, "Your Milotic is the best. When I get a Pokémon, I want a Milotic just like you!"

"We'll have to see about that," I say.

"Mummy has been trying really hard to get tickets for the final because we wanna come see you battle," she says.

"Don't get ahead of yourself, I haven't got to the final yet," I say, "I've got to beat a guy called Thomas first and he's going to be a tough opponent."

"But I know you're going to win!" Melissa shouts.

I notice the door behind Melissa opens and a man walks into the room.

"Melissa, what's going on in here?" he asks.

"I'm talking to Holly," she says excitedly.

"Oh, can I speak to her?" he asks, "I think your mum wants you to get ready for bed anyway."

"Sure," Melissa says and jumps off her seat. She rushes out of the room and my dad walks over to the computer.

"Hey future champ," he says as he sits down in front of the webcam.

"Hey," I say. I give up on the fake cheeriness I had put on for Melissa and my dad's smile fades too.

"What's wrong?" he asks, "You're through to the semi-finals and doing great."

"That's the problem," I say, "I need six Pokémon for the semi-final."

"Oh, is this about-"

"No, it's Crobat," I say, "That wing tear from the first round might not recover in time."

"I see," he says thoughtfully, "Can you not use something else you have?"

"No, I don't have anything else that can even hope to stand up to anything I'll face," I say, "That's why the other thing is also a problem."

My dad nods.

"Would I be able to borrow one of your Pokémon?" I ask, "Just in case I can't use Crobat."

"Is that even allowed?" he asks.

"I don't know, but they need not ever know that it's your Pokémon," I say.

"Wouldn't you want to borrow two?" he asks.

"I… I don't know. I don't know if I can just keep hiding from it. If I really want to become a World Champion then don't I have to overcome that sort of thing?" I ask.

"Yes, but not like this, it'll take time," he says.

"I've had time and that hasn't solved the problem," I say, "Surely if it's forced-"

"Forcing a solution to a problem like this can only make it worse," he says, "I know that you can do it. You have a special relationship with your Pokémon. Very few people can bring out the best in a Crobat like you have. I believe in you, your Pokémon believe in you, you just need to believe in yourself."

"Thank you, I'll try," I say.

"So, about that substitute you want," he says, "What did you have in mind?"

"I was thinking Muk," I say.

"Why am I not surprised?" he laughs, "I'm sure Muk will love to see you again. I can arrange for a transfer tomorrow night if that's alright? You should have a decision on Crobat by then."

"Yeah, that'll be fine," I say, "Thanks dad, I love you."

"I hope that's not just because I'm helping you out," he laughs.

"Of course not," I say defensively, "It just seemed like a good opportunity to say."

"I know," he says, "Just go out there and win two more battles to prove it."

"How does winning prove I love you?" I ask.

"Because we're hopefully coming to watch the final. It would mean so much to me to see you succeed where I never had the chance. It'd also make Melissa the happiest little girl in the world to see you battle," he says. I can tell he's getting rather emotional at this point.

"So would giving her a Milotic as her first Pokémon by the sounds of it," I say. My dad is suddenly caught by surprise and looks worried. After a moment, we both laugh.

"We'll have to discuss that another time," he says, "I think she wants to say goodnight."

I notice Melissa peeking her head around the door in the background. My dad moves out of the way and she runs into the room and up to the computer.

"Goodnight Holly!" she shouts.

"Night," I say.

"I just know you're going to beat that Thomas guy," she says, "You're the best big sister in the world."

Melissa then runs off to bed. I am left to take in what she said. My dad returns to sitting in front of the webcam. I find myself hurriedly looking at a clock.

"Sorry, I've got to go now," I say, acting in a rush.

We say our goodbyes quickly and I hang up the call before logging off. I am not actually in a rush to go anywhere. I push the keyboard aside and bury my head in my arms on the desk. I sit and quietly sob in the cubicle. I didn't think it would hurt this much to be told I'm the best big sister in the world. It's not the first time I've heard it, but the first time from Melissa and it is horrible. I hate Melissa. She is not my real sister and I hate her for it. It's not her fault for having a different mother, but I can't help but despise her for being a replacement for the sister I haven't seen in years.

I hear the curtain behind me move. My sobbing isn't as quiet as I thought.

"Holly, you alright?" I hear Robin ask.

I sit up and wipe my eyes. I am a total wreck now. I don't want Robin to see me like this, but I'm trapped in a small cubicle.

"Not really," I sigh.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asks, "Talking about what's wrong can really make you feel better to just get it out there. Of course I understand if you don't want to talk to me about it because we've only known each other a couple of days."

"Well, if you'll listen to what I have to say," I say.

"Sure I will," he says, "I can even offer advice if you want. I can't guarantee it'll be amazing, but it could just be reassuring to hear."

"Just listen, if you don't mind," I say. I clear my throat before continuing. "My mum hated Pokémon training. Her brother was in an accident when out on his journey so it's understandable. But then she went and fell in love with a trainer. He loved her enough to give it up. Except when I found a lost Zubat in the forest and befriended it, he encouraged me to catch it and become a trainer. Obviously, she was furious. She tried to take Zubat away from me but I wouldn't let her. In the end, my parents split up. I went with my dad and became a trainer, but my mum kept my little sister away from us so we didn't encourage her too. I haven't seen them for years. My dad remarried and had another daughter. I can't stand her though. It's like she's trying to replace my real sister and I don't want that to happen. I just called home and she said I was the best big sister in the world. I don't want to be her big sister."

Robin pats me on the back as I break down into tears again.

"You sound like a pretty good big sister to me, to your real sister, since you care so much," he says.

Even though I'm still crying, I do feel a lot better. I have never told anyone how I felt before. It feels strange that Robin is the first person to know, but I don't mind. It seems like he does genuinely care. There is something about him that, despite all his mischievousness, allows me to confide in him. I find myself standing up and hugging the black haired boy to thank him.

**AN: Just a little something different to break up the quarter finals. Noticing the number of reviews dwindling. Don't want that to be because people think that because their character is out of the tournament they're out of the story. That is not the case. Everyone has a role to play. It's alright though. Not like I was feeding all the nice comments to my already over-inflated ego or anything. Ahem. Hope you're all enjoying the story. Oh, and if there are people who didn't submit a character who are reading and enjoying, it'd be nice if you could say hello to let me know you exist.**


	12. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11:**

The second day of the quarter finals arrives and I make my way to the entrance hall as usual. The four remaining quarter finalists are waiting around. Rhianne is also there talking to Flourette. I walk over to join Robin and find Elin already there listening to Robin's mouth motor away. I am about to greet the two when I notice something odd. Thomas is also waiting amongst the group. He doesn't have a battle today. I would have assumed he'd be off drinking somewhere.

"He's not here by choice," Robin says as he catches on to what I'm looking at.

"Why's that?" I ask.

"Elderidge banned him from drinking after his little… performance yesterday," Robin explains, "He's a semi-finalist now. That makes him a global role model, can't have him being drunk like that again."

"I assume he's not taking it well," I say.

"He broke a vase, that's about it," Elin puts in.

"Hey, Robin, thanks for yesterday," I say.

"You feeling alright now?" he asks. I nod. "Good. Told you it helps."

"What happened?" Elin asks.

"Things," Robin says simply.

"Now I'm interested," Elin says with a smirk.

"No! Nothing like that," I say quickly. I imagine my face has turned bright red at this point. "He was just helping me with something personal. That's all."

We continue chatting as we wait for the bus. Everyone is here. We are just waiting on Raymond to take us to the bus when it arrives. I throw around possibilities in my head for where he could be. It seems unlikely that he would be late without good reason. He isn't the sort of man to disobey a schedule. A different thought then occurs to me and I look back to Robin who is laughing away at something I hadn't paid attention to.

"How are you so relaxed?" I ask.

"Huh?" he asks and looks at me like I'm crazy.

"He's always relaxed," Elin says.

"I mean, you're the substitute Gym Leader for Laverre City," I say, "That's a Fairy Gym and you saw the Ferrothorn Flourette has. Shouldn't you be worried?"

"I wouldn't be given the chance to run a Gym, especially at my age, if I didn't know how to deal with a simple Ferrothorn," Robin says, "That's the thing. Most people will only have one or two Pokémon to deal with Fairies. Once those are dealt with, the rest are easily overwhelmed. It's also great for this thing with the Battle Gears as I know what selection my opponent will make."

"Really?" I ask. I am actually quite amazed at how well thought out his use of just Fairy Pokémon is.

"Sure, if I were going to be battling you, I know you'd pick Crobat and Magcargo," he says, "With a bit of thought I'd then be able to figure out the third choice. Would also help if I knew the rest of your team."

"How would you deal with Crobat and Magcargo though?" I ask.

"That would be telling," he says with a wink.

Eventually, Raymond arrives and leads us out to the bus. At the stadium, I wish Robin luck and follow Elin to where we will be watching from. I am pleasantly surprised to discover we will be viewing the battles from a VIP area of the stand. It is a small area separated from the rest of the crowd on the upper terraces. There are just a few short rows of reasonably comfortable looking seats with a large throne-like chair in the middle. I am unsurprised to discover the throne is for Lancelot Elderidge.

Elin and I take our seats on the front row. We have the best seats in the stadium. The view over the battlefield is perfect and the big screen is directly opposite us. Rhianne sits next to us while Thomas reluctantly sits further along the row and puts his feet up.

"Good of you to join us, Miss Wexler," Lancelot says as he takes his seat, "I assume you're here to check out the competition in person. Mr Young has been doing just that and I believe it shall pay off."

As usual, he is wearing a pristine white suit and a cape. It is an odd thing to wear, but he pulls it off rather well. It seems to add to the appearance of superiority he's obviously going for. He isn't expecting a response so I don't give him one. He puts his hands together and eyes the battlefield intently, waiting for the first battle with the rest of us.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it is time for the third quarter final to begin," the announcer declares and draws everyone's attention, "Make some noise for Robin Harper and Flourette Lauxand!"

I want to jump up and cheer for Robin, but it doesn't seem to be the etiquette for the VIP area. Instead, I have to stand and applaud with Elin and Rhianne. We watch Robin and Flourette emerge from the tunnel together and take their places at either end of the battlefield. They activate their Battle Gears and begin to select their Pokémon. Both of them look confident.

"Begin!" the referee declares as both trainers grab a Poké Ball and hold it out at arm's length.

"Go, Ferrothorn," Flourette says. As expected, she has chosen Ferrothorn first with hopes of steamrolling through Robin's Fairies.

"Go, Togekiss," Robin says. It seems as though Robin is prepared for Flourette just as he had been telling me. As far as what I assume of Robin's team goes, Togekiss is a good choice for the situation.

"Let's start with Leech Seed," Flourette says.

"Counter with Air Slash," Robin calls.

One of Ferrothorn's spikes retracts into its body and seeds are launched from the resulting hole. Togekiss dives down and then quickly swoops back upwards. It flies high up out of range of Ferrothorn's attack and the resulting wind slices through the seeds. The severed seeds fall to the floor harmlessly.

"Togekiss, Flamethrower," Robin says confidently. Flourette looks worried but quickly steadies herself.

"Gyro Ball," she says quickly.

Ferrothorn begins to spin as Togekiss opens its mouth to attack. A stream of flames rains down on Ferrothorn. However, the spin seems to deflect the flames around it. Robin looks to his Battle Gear. Togekiss keeps up its attack. This makes me wonder whether or not it's still dealing damage.

"Aura Sphere," Robin shouts.

Togekiss quickly stops its attack and swoops upwards. It twirls in mid-air to face the ground. When it does, a glowing blue sphere is forming in its mouth. Ferrothorn is directly below Togekiss when the attack is launched. There is a loud crash and a burst of energy from the impact.

"Finish with Flamethrower," Robin calls out before anyone can even take in what has happened.

Flourette has no chance to respond. Ferrothorn is consumed by fire from above. Robin is constantly checking his Battle Gear. He snaps his fingers and Togekiss ceases its attack. The flames die down to reveal Ferrothorn lying limp and covered in scorch marks in a small crater. The referee declares Ferrothorn unable to battle. I had thought Ferrothorn would be the biggest threat to Robin and he has defeated it without taking damage. That said, I know little else about Flourette's team apart from a Salamence which I highly doubt will make an appearance.

"Go, Electivire," Flourette says, sending out her second Pokémon.

I am interested to see how Robin acts as the advantage somehow now seems even more in Flourette's favour with Electivire out. I expect him to switch, but he doesn't appear to even consider it.

"Air Slash," Robin calls out.

"Wild Charge," Flourette counters.

Sparks crackle around Electivire and it begins to rush forward. Togekiss swoops down and up again just before it would collide with Electivire. Electivire panics and stumbles before being struck by a powerful cutting wind. The sparks fizzle out and Electivire trips over.

"Aura Sphere," Robin says. He is confident and assured in what he is doing. He almost makes it look straightforward against one of the tournament favourites.

"Thunderbolt," Flourette cries out.

Togekiss twirls in the sky again and attacks, once again hoping to strike a vulnerable opponent from above. Electivire, however, responds to Flourette's call. Electricity surges from Electivire's body and shoots into the sky. It collides with the Aura Sphere halfway between the two Pokémon. The electricity rips through Togekiss' Aura Sphere, destroying it, and continues on up. Togekiss is caught unexpectedly and endures an electrocution.

"Air Slash," Robin calls out as Togekiss begins to fall.

I see what he's planning. He wants to turn Togekiss' downward momentum into an attack. Even if the attack doesn't hit Electivire, it'll protect Togekiss from the damage of hitting the ground. Everyone watches with bated breath, but Togekiss continues to brace itself for the impact. It can't stop the fall.

"Ice Punch," Flourette says.

Electivire twists its body and reaches out. Its fist glows a light blue as it rises into the air. Electivire's punch connects with Togekiss before the Fairy hits the ground. Togekiss is knocked off course and driven into the ground, skidding across the battlefield. Togekiss lies motionless on the floor for a moment before we realise it is over.

"Go, Azumarill," Robin says as he sends out his next Pokémon. This sends a wave of confused murmurs around the stadium.

"Why would he pick Azumarill against Electivire?" Elin asks me.

"He wouldn't bring three things with a disadvantage to Electivire, so he must be planning something," I say, "My bet is that because Electivire's already taken some damage, he's planning to finish it in one hit."

"Bulldoze!" Robin shouts.

"Called it," I say.

Azumarill runs forward. Suddenly, it jumps and dives into the ground. With incredible speed, Azumarill rips through the battlefield, driving debris at Electivire. Electivire is too taken by surprise to react and Azumarill slams into it with force that throws Electivire to lie at Flourette's feet. I await the referee's declaration of defeat, but it doesn't come. Slowly, Electivire picks itself up and rests on one knee.

"Aqua Jet," Robin says. This has to finish it.

"Wild Charge," Flourette says and moves to the side just in case.

Azumarill charges at Electivire again. This time, covered in a veil of water. Electivire stays where it is. It is too weak to move from its spot, but becomes surrounded in sparks. It braces for impact.

The two Pokémon collide and Azumarill's momentum carries them on further. Electricity surges through the water and shocks Azumarill. The two come to a stop and collapse on top of each other, neither able to move. The referee declares it a tie with both Pokémon unable to continue. Robin and Flourette are both down to their last Pokémon.

"Go, Mawile!"

"Go, Charizard!"

"This does not look good," Elin says.

"Surely he saw this coming?" I ask.

"Fire Blast," Flourette calls, hoping to end it quickly.

"Sucker Punch," Robin responds.

Mawile moves towards Charizard with unnatural speed and jumps up, swinging its large jaw around to strike Charizard before it can attack. Charizard is thrown off. Charizard's attack is launched by accident and spirals off into the sky.

Both trainers have a look of determination I don't think I've seen before. It feels like they are emitting an aura of strength. I then realise that the do appear to be giving off some kind of aura. Robin, Flourette and their Pokémon are all shrouded in a faint light. More people start catching on to what is happening.

"What the Hell?" Thomas asks. He lowers his feet and leans forward to get a proper look. It's the most he's paid attention so far.

The four of us in the VIP area get up and stand at the barrier, trying to confirm what we all appear to be seeing while Lancelot remains in his seat, watching intently.

Suddenly, Mawile and Charizard are consumed by explosions of light. The light then fades to reveal the two Pokémon have changed. Charizard's wings have almost doubled in size and it has grown small wings on its wrists. Mawile, meanwhile, has grown a second jaw which like the first looks even more monstrous than before.

"Is that…" Elin trails off.

"I think it is," I say.

Lancelot Elderidge speaks up to say and confirm what we are all thinking.

"Mega Evolution."

**AN: Hehe, I appear to have guilt tripped a couple of people into reviewing, sorry about that. Now I'm going to be even more evil, intentionally this time, and tell you that the next chapter will be posted after a longer interval than normal because I'm going away for the weekend to pursue my own dream of becoming a Pokémon World Champion at the UK National Championships. So, I won't have much chance to write over the weekend. So, until whenever the next one is, enjoy this one and the "cliffhanger" I'm leaving you with.**


	13. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12:**

I used to think that Mega Evolution was a myth. There have been rumours of it for centuries, especially in Kalos. A few people claim to have witnessed it, but many of those turn out to be seeking attention. In a world of camera phones, no one is believed without evidence now. No evidence exists until this very moment. My dad told me bedtime stories of a man and his Venusaur which could Mega Evolve. Those were just stories. The real thing is even more incredible.

Robin and Flourette look like they can't quite believe what's just happened. They are as surprised as anyone at what they have somehow achieved.

"Ladies and gentlemen, do not pinch yourselves," the announcer suddenly shouts, "May I introduce for the first time ever Mega Mawile and Mega Charizard!"

The crowd erupts. Forget the etiquette. I raise my arms and scream at the top of my lungs. Elin and Rhianne join in as well. Thomas, meanwhile, stands and applauds. As I look at the three, something catches my notice in the corner of my eye. I turn to see Lancelot Elderidge has got to his feet and is leaving. I call after him but he doesn't seem to be able to hear me.

"What's going on?" Elin asks as he notices I'm now facing the opposite direction to everyone else.

"Lancelot just got up and left," I say. Rhianne and Thomas also turn to face me. We all glance around the VIP area. We are the only ones left in here.

"What's he up to?" Thomas asks thoughtfully.

"Why don't I follow him, see where he goes?" Rhianne suggests, "You guys stay and watch the battle."

"Are you sure?" I ask.

"Yeah, I'm out, it doesn't matter to me what happens. I've seen the best bit already," she says.

I look to the others and then nod. Rhianne jogs out of the area in search of the tournament's organiser. We turn back to the battle as Robin's Mega Evolved Mawile jumps back to dodge a Fire Blast.

"Thunder Fang," Robin says. It's hard to hear him over the crowd's excitement at the spectacle.

"Fly up," Flourette says.

Mawile runs forwards with its jaws trailing behind. As it gets close, Charizard jumps up and takes to the sky. It beats its wings to remain in the air and it appears to be out of Mawile's reach. Amazingly, Mawile pursues it by launching itself off the ground. It spins in the air and both jaws stretch out to Charizard. The jaws clamp down on a leg each and electricity surges through Charizard's body. It cries out in pain and the two Pokémon plummet to the ground.

"Play Rough," Robin says. He has regained that calm and confident composure from before. Even though Mawile is at a major disadvantage, he might just manage to win.

Mawile begins to smack Charizard about with whatever limbs it can. Charizard doesn't take kindly to this and a swipe of the tail throws Mawile across the battlefield. Charizard gets to its feet and twists its body to face Mawile as it gets out of the dirt. A loud roar shakes the stadium. The force of the roar sends Mawile back even further. Robin's Pokémon looks terrified. I am not surprised, I wouldn't want to be in its situation.

"Sucker Punch," Robin calls out.

"Air Slash," Flourette says.

Mawile immediately jumps to its feet and rushes at Charizard. Charizard takes to the skies again and swoops down to glide just above the ground. It seems like there will be a head on collision until Charizard suddenly shoots up. It swings its tail at Mawile and the flame at the tip becomes the source of a Flamethrower.

Mawile is taken by surprise. It is still rushing forward for its own attack when it is hit directly by a torrent of fire. It stumbles and falls to the floor.

"Finish it with Fire Blast," Flourette shouts and throws an arm to the side for dramatic effect.

Fire rains down from above and hammers Mawile into the ground. It hammers in defeat for Robin too. I stand and applaud his efforts with a large portion of the crowd while the rest celebrate Flourette's victory. He had talked the talk before the match and, despite defeat, he had walked the walk too. He had almost overcome Flourette in the face of an overwhelming disadvantage with solid tactics and well trained Pokémon. He has also achieved history by triggering Mega Evolution. He has to be admired.

Both Pokémon are consumed by light again and return to their normal selves. Neither trainer recalls their Pokémon though. They both stand with their hangs hanging low. It appears they are breathing quite heavily. Both of them are exhausted all of a sudden and can barely stand. I know the feeling all too well after an intense battle. Perhaps Mega Evolution takes a lot out of you. I would like to discover it for myself, but there have never been rumours of any of the Pokémon I own Mega Evolving, so it seems unlikely.

Gasps fill the stadium as Robin staggers forward and collapses. It's just like the replay I saw of my first round match. Quickly, I rush out of the VIP area and look for a way down into the arena. Elin follows close behind.

We make it to the tunnel as medical staff stretcher Robin to the room I woke up in after passing out. We rush over to Robin's side but are pushed out of the way and blocked from following him into the room. I then turn to see Flourette slowly trudge down the tunnel towards us. Her head is held high, leaning back to look to the sky. She looks shattered and relieved as though she's just finished a marathon.

"Are you alright?" I ask.

"That was something, wasn't it?" she says. She lowers her head to look at us and smiles. She is definitely pleased with herself for her victory.

"It really was, congratulations," I say.

"Thanks," she says, "I really need a rest after all that."

Elin and I guide Flourette back to the trainers' room. She can barely stand at this point and she immediately flops onto a sofa next to Mark. I manage to find Thomas' bottle from yesterday still lying around and refill it with water for Flourette. She gratefully accepts and downs half of it almost immediately.

"Where's Rhianne?" Flourette asks.

"Well, after you two managed to trigger Mega Evolution, which was awesome by the way, Lancelot Elderidge walked off and Rhianne decided to follow him," Elin explains.

The room falls silent at this. It draws Shaw's attention and I spot Mark's ears perking up.

"Why would he just get up and leave?" Flourette asks.

"I don't know, that's what Rhianne went to find out," I say, "There's something else too."

I quickly look around the room to make sure it is just us. The others look at me with interest.

"The evening after my first round battle, I overheard Lancelot talking with Raymond in the hotel. He was worried about my collapse, but not about me. I didn't hear the conversation through to the end, but I think there's something else going on here," I say, "I ignored it until now, but given what's happened…"

"Don't go all conspiracy theorist on us. You didn't sleep that first night," Shaw says, "You were just exhausted."

"Maybe that is just what it was," I say, "But Lancelot is acting weird."

"What about Robin and Flourette?" Elin asks, "How much sleep did they get last night?"

"Plenty," Flourette says.

"You two shouldn't be here, you're not competing today," Mark finally speaks up, "I suggest you go find Rhianne before someone checks in here."

It's true. We're not supposed to be in here when we're not competing. I look to Elin and he nods. We leave the room and walk along the corridors back to the VIP area. I can't help but feel my suspicions might be a little crazy, but the others didn't seem too dismissive about them apart from Shaw. Elin certainly sounds like he suspects something too. This isn't something I should be worrying about though. It's all just speculations. We'll go back to the VIP area and Lancelot and Rhianne will return with a perfectly logical explanation. Then we can watch Mark and Shaw battle and all will be well.

Thomas is the only one waiting for us when we return. We take our seats and wait. There is an intermission while the battlefield is repaired that allows the crowd to get lunch. I've only actually had lunch once since arriving in Nimbasa City, but I don't really feel like having it. There's been so much going on that eating is a bit of an afterthought in the middle of the day.

Lancelot returns to his seat so quietly that I don't notice he has come back until I look around after hearing something odd on the terraces around us. He sits and waits, staring intently at the battlefield. Rhianne doesn't return though.

"I wonder where Rhianne is," I say to Elin, "I think the next battle's about to start."

"Ah," Lancelot speaks up, "I am afraid Miss Barrestein has taken ill. There is no cause for alarm though, she is in safe hands."

"Oh, what happened?" I ask.

"I was not present at the time so I am uninformed of the details, nothing serious as I understand it though," he says.

"Maybe something to do with whatever makes her need an inhaler," I say and turn back to face the battlefield.

I was right, the next battle is about to start. The battlefield has been restored and cleared of the people fixing it. People are returning to their seats, many of them carrying drinks and fast food. The announcer calls for the last quarter final between Shaw Weston and Mark Young. I stand to applaud the two. I am cheering for Shaw in this battle after our agreement last night. I don't really know Mark properly, we've never had a proper conversation. He always seem a little distant. If this battle is anything like the last one then I don't mind who wins though.

"Go, Torterra," Mark says and sends out his first Pokémon.

"Go, Hitmonchan," Shaw's first choice is the Pokémon I saw him training with.

"Rock Polish," Mark says.

Hitmonchan keeps its guard up and watches as leaves from the tree on Torterra's back fall and seem to polish the Pokémon's body. Torterra glares across the battlefield at its opponent and pats the ground with one foot.

"Fire Punch," Shaw orders. Hitmonchan runs forward and its fists are consumed by a blaze.

"Dodge with Earthquake," Mark says.

My eyes widen in horror. What is Mark doing? The concept sounds so contradictory. My mouth falls open as Torterra jumps up high in a split second. It falls back to the Earth a short distance behind where it originally stood. The freshly repaired battlefield is torn apart. The ground Hitmonchan is on erupts and throws it through the air. Hitmonchan flies past its target and crashes down beside it. That's one way to avoid an attack.

"Wood Hammer," Mark says. The cold and emotionless way he commands his Pokémon makes him seem merciless as he calls for an attack before Hitmonchan has even had chance to register what's happened.

Torterra turns and bounds over to where Hitmonchan lies. It rises onto its rear legs and prepares to come down on top of Hitmonchan.

"Sky Uppercut!" Shaw calls.

Hitmonchan quickly rolls onto its back and swings an arm up as Torterra comes crashing down. Hitmonchan's fist connects with Torterra's chin. There is a loud and spine-chilling crack as Torterra is suddenly flung back. Torterra staggers back and manages to land on its feet. The force of the landing causes Hitmonchan to be knocked back down as it tries to get up.

"Earthquake," Mark says.

"Get onto its back," Shaw shouts in response.

Hitmonchan quickly scrambles to its feet. Torterra seems distracted by not being able to close its mouth due to a dislodged jaw, but eventually begins its attack. However, Hitmonchan has already launched itself off the ground and towards it. Torterra jumps, allowing Hitmonchan the perfect opportunity to land on its back. Torterra crashes back down and cracks open up around the battlefield, meaning the rest of the battle is going to be fought on awkward terrain. Hitmonchan crouches on Torterra's back and steadies itself so it isn't shaken off.

"Ice Punch," Shaw calls out.

Torterra has no defence against this. Hitmonchan raises a fist and then slams it down on Torterra's back. Torterra lets out a desperate wail as ice spreads across its back, consuming its shell. With that, Torterra slumps to the floor defeated.

**AN: I am back. For those interested, I did terribly at Nationals. But I did have fun Burning and Poisoning EVERYTHING. I also battled reviewer Gazooki though it was more like battling Robin with all those Fairies.**


	14. Chapter 13

"Go, Aggron!"

Mark's second Pokémon towers over Shaw's Hitmonchan. Hitmonchan stands its ground though and stays prepared to fight.

"Fire Punch," Shaw says.

"Heavy Slam," Mark counters.

Hitmonchan moves in with its flaming fists, ready to strike. Aggron charges forward with incredible force behind it. Hitmonchan jabs to hit Aggron in the chest. Fire bursts out from Hitmonchan's fist and covers Aggron's torso. Aggron isn't the slightest bit fazed by this. It continues charging on and slams into Hitmonchan. Hitmonchan tries protecting itself but there is nothing it can do. It is flung across the battlefield to land in a heap.

"Get up, you can still fight!" Shaw shouts.

Hitmonchan lies in the dirt and struggles to move. Shaw shouts more encouragement at his Pokémon, but Mark stops him by holding up an arm. Mark points to his Battle Gear and Shaw checks his own. Hitmonchan has lost.

"He said I had no respect for Pokémon in battle, yet he tried to push his own Pokémon too far," I seethe.

"This is what the Battle Gear is for," Lancelot says, "It prevents needless suffering for a Pokémon clearly defeated."

"Go, Throh," Shaw shouts.

"Earthquake," Mark says calmly.

Aggron jumps and slams back down. The entire stadium shakes, disrupting the lunches of a number of spectators. Throh stands firm, clenching its fists and enduring the quake while the battlefield crumbles around it. The path between the two Pokémon now looks near impossible to cross. More agile Pokémon than the ones currently out could navigate it, but Throh and Aggron are stranded. This is bad news for Shaw as Throh will likely rely solely on attacking its opponent directly.

I look over to Shaw. He has balled his fists and is visibly gritting his teeth. That reaction seems to confirm my suspicions. He had a plan until Mark finished off the battlefield. Now, he needs to rethink quickly.

"Never give up, never give in," Shaw shouts, "Throw the rubble at Aggron to get through."

Throh jumps over a small crack in front of it and grabs a large rock that is obscuring the battlefield. It lifts the rock and tosses it at Aggron. Mark does not respond. He just watches and smirks and the rock bounces off Aggron's hard outer body without so much as scratching it.

"Earthquake," Mark says simply. He looks like he's in total control of the battle now.

Throh has to throw itself to the side as a crack opens up in the ground between its legs. Rubble flies up and strikes Throh, knocking it down. There is no way Throh can get close. Aggron can just keep ripping up the battlefield and slowly wearing it down. Shaw is fighting a losing battle.

"Switch!" I jump up and shout at Shaw.

He likely can't hear me, but if he can then he's too stubborn to take my advice. Shaw and Throh persist in trying to get in close to Aggron. Every time they do, Mark does the same thing and knocks them back with another powerful Earthquake. Throh has taken a lot of damage, a lot more than I would have thought it could. In the end, it can only take so much and slumps to defeat.

Shaw is down to his final Pokémon and has to take out an Aggron that he has struggled to even hit and something else he hasn't even seen yet. I pray that he has something capable of navigating what remains of the battlefield as he picks his final Poké Ball. If he doesn't, then the conclusion of this battle will be a slow and painful one.

"Go, Hitmonlee!"

That will do.

"Double Kick," Shaw orders.

"Earthquake," Mark says yet again.

"I would hate to be the guy who has to repair the battlefield for tomorrow," Elin says.

Hitmonlee runs at Aggron, jumping over cracks and rubble with ease. As the ground shakes, Hitmonlee launches itself into the air and bounces off rocks to make its way across the ruined battlefield. Aggron remains calm as Hitmonlee finally reaches it. Aggron raises its arms to shield its body and the first kick is blocked. The second kick smacks Aggron directly in the face and sends the metal monster stumbling backwards.

"Heavy Slam," Mark says, sending Aggron on the offensive.

"Close Combat," Shaw counters.

Aggron charges at Hitmonlee, pounding craters into the ground with every step. Hitmonlee stretches out its arms and grabs hold of Aggron's hands. Hitmonlee lifts its feet off the ground and starts kicking at Aggron's body as it continues charging while inadvertently carrying its target. Aggron struggles to stop itself and tries to shake Hitmonlee loose. This earns it another kick to the face.

"Keep it up," Shaw calls encouragingly.

A few more well struck blows later and Aggron is finally toppled. Hitmonlee has to quickly release its grip and jump away to avoid being crushed. Aggron groans as it lies helplessly on the floor. The referee declares it defeated and Mark can put it out of its misery by returning it. I want Shaw to win even more now. The prospect of having to fight that Aggron is terrifying.

"Go, Espeon," Mark says.

My heart sinks. Mark has been calm the whole time. He's been working towards this moment when he can just clean up what's left of Shaw's team. Shaw doesn't look any less determined, but it might take more than determination to overcome this obstacle.

"Hitmonlee, High-Jump Kick," Shaw says.

"Psychic," Mark responds.

Hitmonlee runs up and jumps into the air. It stretches a leg out ready to kick Espeon. Espeon's eyes glow and the same glow appears around Hitmonlee's body. Hitmonlee is flung to the side and crashes to the ground.

"Crush it," Mark says.

Espeon's eyes glow again. This time, the glow appears around various large pieces of loose rubble. The rocks rise into the air and float above where Hitmonlee lies before crashing down on it.

I am definitely being treated unfairly with the whole Status Psycho thing. Everyone else is just as brutal.

"Break out with Close Combat," Shaw shouts, hoping to be heard beneath the pile of rocks.

A rock shatters and Hitmonlee's leg emerges from behind it. Another splits open and Hitmonlee forces its way out before the pile of rubble collapses completely. I am impressed that Hitmonlee is still standing at this point.

"End this, Psychic," Mark says coldly.

Once again, Espeon's eyes glow and Hitmonlee rises into the air. It flails about wildly as it floats out of reach of solid ground. Suddenly, it clutches its head in pain and screams. This is the true nature of a powerful Psychic attack, one of the deadliest moves possible. Somehow, Hitmonlee hangs on. It refuses to give in. Shaw and his Pokémon are in perfect sync. They both remain defiant until the very end. He wasn't pushing Hitmonchan too far before, they both believed that they could go on.

Espeon cries out and looks more determined. It is focusing itself and strengthening its attack. Hitmonlee's screams fill the stadium and silence the crowd. The shrieks break Espeon's focus and end the attack. Hitmonlee falls to the floor and lands on its feet. Its head hangs low. It has withstood a powerful Psychic attack and remains standing. Everyone in the stadium gets to their feet to applaud as Hitmonlee finally passes out.

"The winner, and final semi-finalist, is Mark Young!" the announcer declares.

The big screen shows the semi-final fixtures. I am against Thomas tomorrow and then Flourette and Mark battle the day after. The scale of things starts to dawn on me. This is big. This is the biggest thing in my life. I am now in with a realistic shout of being the best Pokémon trainer in the world, but achieving that couldn't be any more difficult. From here on out the battles will use all six of the Pokémon in our rosters. I have no idea how I'm going to get past Thomas and if I somehow manage to then I'd have to go up against the winner of a battle between two people who seem almost unstoppable. I have come too far to give up now. I am not going to let myself fall when I've got this close. The thoughts are daunting but they drive me on.

After a handshake, Mark and Shaw return to the tunnel and the stands of the stadium start to empty. Those of us in the VIP area, apart from Lancelot, head down to the trainers' room to meet with the others and get the bus back to the hotel. Rhianne arrives there around the same time as us.

"What happened, are you alright?" I ask her. She looks a little uneasy and confused.

"Yeah, I'm not sure what happened but I'm fine," she says, "I was following Lancelot and then… I don't know. I woke up. That's all I can remember."

"That's odd, does the nurse not know what happened?" Elin asks.

"She couldn't find anything wrong, I guess whatever it was passed," Rhianne shrugs.

"Well, as long as you're fine," I say, "What about Robin?"

"Boo!"

I jump and quickly turn around to see Robin stood directly behind me. I place my hand on my chest and slow down my breathing. Robin chuckles at my reaction, earning him the most menacing glare I can come up with.

"Gutted," he says, "Well rested, but gutted. That said, it was an awesome battle. You did see it, right?"

"Of course I did," I say, "and now I want to battle that Mega Mawile of yours."

"About that," Robin laughs, "I have no idea how I did that."

With everyone gathered, we head back to the hotel. I split off from the others when we return. I have to prepare for my battle with Thomas tomorrow. I need a strategy. More importantly, I need to settle on my sixth Pokémon. I still want to use Crobat, but it seems unlikely that it will be able to battle.

The woman working on reception calls to me as I walk past. "Miss Wexler, could I have a moment?"

"Sure," I say and walk over to the desk.

"You have received a Pokémon transfer from your father," the woman says.

"Oh, he sent Muk already?" I ask.

"Yes, could you please confirm your Trainer ID to complete the transfer?" she asks.

I pull my Trainer License card from my pocket and hand it over. The woman types the appropriate details into her computer before handing it back. She asks me to wait a moment while she goes to collect my Pokémon for me.

"Thank you," I say as the woman hands me a Poké Ball.

Now that I have Muk earlier than planned, I change my course. I turn to head back outside instead of to my room. As usual, the hotel's gardens are quiet. The perfect place to interact with my Pokémon. I go to the area with the fountain. Shaw had used it as his training location but will likely not have much use for it anymore.

"Go, Muk," I say and hold out the Poké Ball.

The purple sludge Pokémon appears and quickly realises it doesn't have an opponent to fight. It turns around to see me and its face lights up. Stretching its arms out, Muk rushes forward to hug me. I don't have chance to get away and end up being tackled to the ground. Muk oozes over my lower body and wraps its arms around my upper body. I have experience of this from growing up, but it doesn't make it any less painful. Muk's toxic body is dissolving holes in my clothes and burning the skin it comes into contact with.

"Please, Muk," I beg, "It's nice to see you too, but please get off."

Reluctantly, Muk slides off my body. I lie on the ground and breathe deeply. I need chance to recover. My skin is screaming. I am just thankful the hug was low down. Had it been any higher then I might have inhaled something that would have meant I wouldn't be able to battle tomorrow. I remember being ill as a child for a week after breathing in Muk's odour. That had almost caused my parents to split up.

I drag myself up and over to the fountain. I sit on the edge and cup water in my hands to soak my skin. It eases the pain and I sigh in relief. Having recovered from Muk's love, I let Crobat out. This is where the decision is made. Crobat sits on the ground again with the same miserable look as the past few days.

I kneel down in front of it and reach for the bandaged wing. Carefully, I untie the knots and let the bandages drop to the ground. Crobat holds up its wing and looks at it. The tear is still there. The healing has only closed a small part of it and then left the rest split. There is a visible scar running parallel to the tear. I hadn't noticed that during the battle. The injury is worse than I had known.

"I'm sorry," I say and try to hold back my tears as I touch Crobat's wing.

Crobat's wing smacks my hand and I move it away. Crobat then beats its wings and takes to the sky. I look up to watch it rise and circle around the area. The tears don't stop, but my mouth twists to a smile.

Then, my smile quickly fades as Crobat plummets.


	15. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14:**

I jump to my feet and try to run to where I expect Crobat to land only to trip over my own feet. I fortunately hit the ground with my hands to avoid smashing my face on the stone covered floor. I have to let myself lie on the floor as the pain in my body takes over. Stones poke at the skin left sensitive by Muk and I think I have injured my wrist when landing. I grab my wrist and stretch my neck out so I can see Crobat.

Muk has dashed across to where Crobat is falling and Crobat crashes into the sludge Pokémon. Muk absorbs the impact and lets out a cheerful moan. Still gritting my teeth, I calm down. Crobat is safe.

"I hope that's not how you plan on winning tomorrow," a voice says.

I look up to see Daedalus towering over me with his arms folded and a stern look on his face. He suddenly relaxes and holds out a hand to help me up. I take the offer with the hand that isn't in incredible pain and find myself dragged to my feet with surprising strength.

"We have to stop meeting like this," I say and blush slightly as I recall our previous encounter in the hotel. I have to avert my gaze from him. I can't imagine how much of a mess I look like to him.

"Are you ok?" he asks, "You don't look too good."

"I'll be fine," I say. I might have to get my wrist checked, but apart from that I'm telling the truth.

"I hope so," Daedalus says, "Are you prepared for tomorrow?"

We both look over to Muk and Crobat as they sit and watch us. Crobat looks even more crushed than before while Muk is just being its usual playful self.

"I… I'm not sure," I say, "I think it's clear I can't use Crobat."

"Crobat has two sets of wings, only one wing is injured. What's the problem?" Daedalus asks.

"The second set is mainly for maintaining long distance flights, not the sort of flight patterns it'll need in battle," I explain.

"I see, so does that mean you'll be using Muk instead?" he asks.

"Muk," I say and hold out a hand to my dad's Pokémon. It gladly moves over to be beside me and Daedalus. "Would you be willing to battle for me tomorrow? I know I'm not your trainer, but we're family…"

Before I can say anything else, Muk responds cheerfully and waves its arms in the air. I think I can safely take this reaction as a yes.

"Muk isn't your Pokémon?" Daedalus asks, sounding surprised.

"My dad's," I say, "I don't have many Pokémon. I focused more on the ones I do have than building up a large variety of options."

A smile appears on Daedalus' face. "I see. I can appreciate that. If you have too many Pokémon, you can't give them all the attention they deserve," he says, "But… Using someone else's Pokémon is against the rules. No one likes a cheater, Holly. That being said, no one has to know. On one condition."

"Go on," I say cautiously. I'm not sure I like where this is going.

"You have to let me make sure you're ready for tomorrow," he says.

"What?" I ask. His response has completely thrown me off. I was expecting something sinister, but this is just confusing unless he has some kind of hidden agenda.

"You have to win tomorrow," he says, "Or rather, Thomas Byrne must lose."

"Why?" I ask. I then laugh slightly. "Are you bitter over losing to him?"

"The man is an alcoholic. His performance against me was totally disgraceful, banning him from drinking isn't enough. A man like that must never taste success, not on a global stage like this. He needs to be made an example of," Daedalus says passionately.

I don't understand why Daedalus feels so strongly about this. I would have thought the drinking ban is enough. I want to question him on it but I can't find the words. He seems to recognise that I am confused and holds up a hand to stop me from trying to formulate a question. I watch as he pulls off his jumper to reveal the vest beneath. He casts aside the jumper and then adjusts his vest so that I can see his chest. Red scars and faded bruising draw my attention. Conclusions fall into place in my head. There are a couple of possibilities I can think of, but they all give a good explanation as to why he feels so strongly about it.

"I see," I say. It's all I can say. I just need him to know that I now understand.

"Will you beat Thomas tomorrow then?" he asks, "Not just for me, but for everyone."

"Yes, I'll do everything I can," I say.

"Then prove to me that you and Muk are ready to battle together," he says and grabs a Poké Ball.

This is a rather sudden challenge, but one I have to face. If I am to use Muk against Thomas and win then I need some experience battling with it before then. Thomas beat Daedalus so I have to beat him too if I want to be able to stand a chance.

I turn to Muk. "Are you ready?" I ask. Muk nods. Its playful nature has evaporated and been replaced by a determined and battle-ready one. I step away from Daedalus to create a makeshift battlefield between us.

"Go, Scizor," Daedalus says. He really isn't going to make it easy for me. Just the sort of experience I need. The battle hasn't even started and I need to rethink my entire strategy. Fighting an opponent that I can't poison is going to be tough.

"Muk, use Power-Up Punch," I say.

Muk balls its hand into a sludgy fist and swings it at Scizor. The fist glows and Muk's arm bulges as though it has muscles.

"Aerial Ace," Daedalus counters before the attack can connect.

Scizor's wings shoot open and quickly carry the metal bug into the air. It flies around in a loop so it can dive down again at Muk with claws outstretched. Muk braces itself as Scizor swoops down and slices through its body. The top of Muk's body is split down the middle. My heart thumps against my chest as I see what has happened to my dad's Pokémon.

Suddenly, Muk groans and the sludge begins to move. The gap is filled and Muk has returned to normal. I should have expected that would happen, but I didn't. Daedalus is right to be testing me. I can't make that sort of mistake tomorrow.

I want to know how much damage Muk has taken from that attack. It doesn't seem like much, but I can't gauge an accurate idea since we're not using our Battle Gears. It's strange, I've always worked with estimates before. Having tried out something that gives me a much better idea of the situation, it's difficult to go back. Damn Elder Industries and their successful marketing attempt.

"Metal Claw," Daedalus says.

"Toxic on its claws," I respond, taking Daedalus by surprise.

Scizor glides forward, hovering just above the ground. It opens its claws and prepares to swipe at Muk. Muk spits out two lumps on toxic sludge, each one landing perfectly inside Scizor's open claws. Scizor stops and looks at its claws in confusion. It tries closing and opening them again. However, the sludge sticks the claws together when they close. Scizor's eyes widen and it frantically shakes its claws as it tries to get rid of the sludge.

"Shadow Punch," I say.

While Scizor is distracted by its own claws, Muk stretches out and punches the air in front of it. A ghostly apparition of its fist continues on and smacks Scizor firmly in the chest. Scizor is thrown across our makeshift battlefield and skids through the stones on its back. It quickly sits up again and glares at Muk.

"Aerial Ace!" Daedalus orders.

"Knock it out of the sky with Gunk Shot," I say.

Scizor suddenly jumps up and takes flight, easily dodging a pre-emptive shot at it. Muk begins hurling a barrage of sludge up into the sky where Scizor easily moves to avoid everything thrown at it. The sludge rains back down and covers the ground between Daedalus and myself. Eventually, one of Muk's lumps of sludge hits, splattering Scizor's shoulder, but does little to knock it off course.

"Now, Protect," I say as I notice Scizor beginning to descend.

Muk's arms and face disappear into its body, leaving just a pile of toxic waste to the unsuspecting eye. Scizor dives down and collides with Muk instead of slicing through. Ultimately, Scizor bounces off Muk and crashes to the ground next to it.

"Cover it," I say coldly. I remember seeing this tactic being used by my dad. It should end it.

Muk's arms and face reappear and it cheers as its body seeps over Scizor. A shriek of terror is quickly drowned out as Scizor vanishes beneath the sludge. Bulges appear on Muk's body where Scizor is thrashing about underneath it. However, its attempts at escape seem futile.

"Scizor's going to suffocate!" Daedalus cries out desperately.

"Release it and finish with Shadow Punch," I call.

Muk slides off Scizor to reveal a haunted face and twitching body. It raises a fist and prepares to deal the decisive blow. However, a purple blur shoots across the battlefield and Muk's Shadow Punch smashes a small crater into the ground. I look past Muk. Scizor is now lying motionless a short distance away. Above it, Crobat weakly flaps its wings and breathes deeply.

"Crobat still wants to battle," I sigh.

"It shouldn't though," Daedalus says, "You and Muk seem ready to fight together. Even if it will reignite the calls of Status Psycho. You should do what it right for your Pokémon."

"I should…" I say. I look down at the floor and clench my fists. It is a heart wrenching decision to make.

I return both of my Pokémon to their Poké Balls and continue to look down. I hear footsteps crunching on the stones and a hand rests on my shoulder.

"I know you will make the right decision, Holly, and I know you will beat Thomas," Daedalus says.

"Thomas is a drunken fool. Sure, he's not a great role model but there are plenty like him," I say, "What about me though? Why am I any better? I almost killed your Scizor. What sort of role model is that?"

"Ask me again when you actually do kill someone's Pokémon," Daedalus says.

"What if I actually do? I don't mean to, but I've got pretty close. What if I go too far? What then?" I ask. My eyes are stinging. Tears are building up again. Once again, I find myself letting my emotions out to someone I barely even know.

Suddenly, I freeze. Daedalus has wrapped his arms around me. It's awkward. I was not expecting this, but he's warm and comforting. Eventually, I give in. I hang limp in Daedalus' embrace. My body hurts but he makes it feel better. I lift my arms and rest them on his shoulders in an attempt to return the hug without aggravating my injured wrist.

Feeling safe and reassured, I shake the tears from my eyes and look up. I am met by Daedalus' emerald eyes gazing back at me. I don't know what comes over me. I am too lost in his gaze to realise what I'm doing until it's too late. I press my lips against his. He doesn't resist. In fact, he holds me closer. My eyelids droop shut and the kiss becomes everything for that moment.

I snap back to reality as we slowly separate from each other. My eyes widen as I stare at Daedalus, realising what I've done. I quickly pull myself free from his embrace and step back. I can't even look at him now. All I can do is run. Stupid, emotional Holly. Why did this have to happen now?

**AN: I blame TissueMonster.**


	16. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15:**

It is the day of my semi-final match with Thomas. I want to focus on the battle ahead, but I can't. I am, as I have been since last night, distracted by Daedalus Marlowe. He is all I can think about. Images of those entrancing green eyes and memories of that wonderful kiss fill my mind at every turn. My heart is conflicted though. I can't figure out if I was swept up in the moment while I was an emotional wreck or if I actually have feelings for him.

I am deep in thought and fiddling with a loose strand of the bandages wrapped around my wrist as I walk down to the entrance hall.

"Hey, watch it," someone snaps at me, "Just because you're a semi-finalist, doesn't mean you own the place."

I blink and the world around me comes back into focus. I have walked into someone because I haven't been looking where I am going. It is Kyle Austin, Rhianne's first round opponent.

"Sorry," I say, "I didn't mean to."

"I'm sure you didn't, Status Psycho," Kyle says bitterly.

My first thought is that Daedalus doesn't treat me like that. I quickly shake off the thought and resume my journey downstairs, leaving Kyle to his own business. I really have to focus now. Daedalus is expecting me to win. If I do have feelings for me, then I have to win if there's any chance he'll return them. That is how I convince myself to think back over the few notes I have made about Thomas. There was little I could take from his quarter final battle as it's difficult to determine a strategy when a trainer is drunk, so I have to settle for working with the few notes I could make watching him win possibly the easiest match of the first round.

All hopes of dispelling thoughts of Daedalus from my mind vanish when I reach the entrance hall. He is one of the first people there, stood on his own against a wall. My arrival doesn't stir him from his self-isolation. Instead, I have to walk over to him. I want to tackle this issue head on.

"About yesterday…" I begin awkwardly. I don't know how to continue though. Daedalus still doesn't acknowledge my existence. It's as though he's staring straight through me.

"Good luck today," he says and walks off to be alone in a different corner.

I am being stupid again. I should have expected that reaction. He is a different person in view of other people to when we've been alone. My attention quickly turns to the other people gathering. It seems everyone is coming along now. A lot of the people who went out in the first round had been absent on previous days, but they have now returned to see the tournament as it reaches the final stages.

As usual, Robin and Elin make their way over to join me. I don't listen to Robin's latest tale, something to do with room service and an undercooked Tauros, I am too distracted. My eyes wander about the entrance hall, landing on Daedalus every so often. Eventually I figure out what's missing. Thomas is the last to arrive. When I see Raymond guiding him, I suspect he's been drinking again. An unpredictable opponent is the last thing I want.

As it turns out, Thomas is actually sober. He walks alongside us as we head to the bus. However, he is preoccupied by his Battle Gear. It looks in better condition than I remember it during his last battle. I then notice he is actually registering his details on it.

"Why have you got a new Battle Gear?" I ask Thomas, much to Robin's annoyance as he has to cut his story short.

"I broke the last one," Thomas says, "Well, I didn't. I was just fiddling with it and couldn't put it back together. Just don't tell the suits that."

"Fiddling?" Elin asks.

"Yeah, taking it apart. Love seeing how this sort of stuff works," Thomas says as he finishes setting up the device, "This thing's got some weird stuff inside, but I'll tell you about that later."

"Weird stuff?" Elin asks. He seems quite curious about it all.

"I said I'd tell you later," Thomas says irritably, "Until then, I'll leave you cheerleaders and Psycho to prepare. You'll need it, trust me."

Thomas strolls off ahead of us and is one of the first people on the bus. He glances back at us with a grin and I glare at him as I have to endure an earful from Robin about how he is not a cheerleader. I spend the short bus journey plotting basic strategies for the Pokémon I know Thomas has. There are things about his team I don't know and there are things about mine he doesn't know, but I don't know whose favour that will work to.

At the stadium, we know the drill by now. Thomas and I split off from the main group and head for the trainers' room. Except this time we are stopped by Raymond who leads us down a different corridor. I ask where we are going, but Raymond doesn't respond until we reach a door and stop.

"Thus far, you have been protected from the media, but as semi-finalists you have a duty to be in the public eye. As such, before your battle, you will face representatives of the media," Raymond explains.

I gulp as Raymond opens the door to reveal a room filled with journalists and photographers. We are told to take seats at a table facing the crowd. Cautiously, I sit down and look to the people in front of me. Cameras flash wildly, constantly taking me by surprise. I look to Thomas. He is a lot more relaxed. He is leaning back in his chair with his feet resting on the table. I spot Raymond in the corner of the room looking unimpressed by Thomas' muddy boots on the white tablecloth.

"How are you two feeling ahead of your battle?" a journalist asks.

"I'm fine because I've got this and Psycho's a nervous wreck," Thomas says bluntly, "Next question."

I open my mouth to try and respond to that, but very little comes out and what does is drowned out by journalists bombarding us with more questions.

"How do you feel about being so close to the title of World Champion?"

"Thomas, are you drunk?"

"Holly, are you really a psychopath?"

"How do you rate the Battle Gears?"

The relentless bombardment of questions is getting out of hand. There is no order. I don't know what to do. Even Thomas is stumped at this point. Raymond has to step in and call for the journalists to ask one at a time. Obviously, this doesn't work. The media are hounds, they will stop at nothing to make sure their question is the one that gets answered so they have a story.

"How much of an impact have the Battle Gears had so far in the tournament?" one journalist manages to ask. Raymond steps in again to make sure that no one else asks anything until the question is answered.

"To be honest, a lot of the information isn't of much use. They're things that often come as instinct to trainers. Perhaps people could come up with strategies that do utilise the information, but we all have our own established battle styles and aren't going to risk changing them at such short notice," I say carefully, I don't want to anger the tournament organisers but want to answer truthfully, "The team selection process has been massive though. It has probably changed the outcomes of several battles. The health bars are surprisingly useful. I was training yesterday without the Battle Gear and realised the difference between making estimates and knowing the full extent."

Raymond looks to me and nods approvingly. I don't think I've said too much wrong against Elder Industries and I've given the press something to work with. Everyone wins. The press conference continues with some structure. Thomas answers a few questions rather bluntly while I try to be a little more insightful.

Much to our relief, Raymond eventually calls an end to our meeting with the media and leads us away. We are sent to the trainers' room to await our battle. I lean against a wall and curse the media under my breath. They have completely thrown off my mental preparations. That was unexpected and unwanted. Thomas doesn't seem too bothered by it though. I envy him. How can he be so relaxed and confident? Of course, it's because he knows I'm not.

Now I feel the writing is definitely on the wall for my run in the competition. There is a psychological aspect that I had no idea about. Thomas knows all about it. He used it to his advantage against Daedalus. He took out a tough opponent by knocking him off guard with his drunken antics. Now he's planning to take me out by trying to crush my confidence and I think it is working.

When the time comes, we head out to the tunnel and wait for our call. Neither of us say anything. I just feel awkward around Thomas now. I used to quite like him, but now things are different. We are opponents and Daedalus has convinced me there is a reason to beat him outside my own ambition.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it is time for the first semi-final!" the announcer declares over the speakers, "Fighting for a place in the Ten Million Match, your favourite Twitter trends, the Status Psycho, Holly Wexler, and the Hangover Hero, Thomas Byrne!"

We step out into an explosion of noise. I have come a long way in just two rounds. The atmosphere has grown with every round. Thomas looks like he's taking in all in and drawing strength from it. I just have to tell myself it's all a trick to try and demoralise me. He's just as nervous as I am. Yes, that must be it.

We take our places at either end of the battlefield. The stadium's staff have done an excellent job in repairing the battlefield after Mark completely destroyed it yesterday. There are still a few visible weak spots but I doubt they will influence our battle much. The referee instructs us to activate our Battle Gears and we do so.

When I am faced with the teams, it is not a question of which Pokémon do I bring anymore. Now we just have to choose the one we will start with. This is a whole different selection process. Do you pick what might have a chance against anything or do you try to predict your opponent's first choice? I slam a finger down on the screen to make my selection and block out any doubts.

I grab the appropriate Poké Ball and hold it out at arm's length. I am ready. Thomas flicks his first Poké Ball into the air and catches it with the other hand. Cool, calm and confident. I intend to wipe that smirk off his face by the end of the battle.

"Begin!" the referee calls out.

"Go, Magcargo!"

"Go, Sylux!"

I am somewhat surprised by Thomas' first choice. A Heatmor is not something I expected to face at this tournament, not least at this stage. After facing Elin's Palpitoad though, I know not to underestimate anything. This is top level competition. I am facing Thomas for a reason.

"Magcargo, Yawn," I say to start the battle.

"Taunt," Thomas counters.

Heatmor waves at Magcargo, gesturing for it to go for it, and laughs mockingly. This visibly angers my Pokémon. When Magcargo stretches its mouth open wide, I expect a loud yawn. Instead, fire pours out and streams directly at Heatmor.

"No!" I cry out.

It is too late though. Thomas laughs as his Heatmor sucks in the fire. It chuckles and snorts out a few flames. Heatmor now has Magcargo's fire powering it up. I knew not to underestimate it before. Now, I know that I am in trouble.


	17. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16:**

As if I wasn't nervous enough, Thomas has taken the initiative and completely ruined my strategy. There will be no Status Psycho for now. He had this planned out and likely has other tricks up his sleeve for later in the battle. I have to be wary. Until then, I have to go on the offensive. Magcargo won't give me any other option now. Fortunately, I have faith that it can do the job even with Heatmor being awake.

"Ancient Power," I say and rocks are instantly torn from the ground.

"Substitute," Thomas responds.

Smoke pours from Heatmor's snout and shrouds the entire battlefield. Magcargo continues its attack and rains the rocks down on where we last saw the Heatmor. I check my Battle Gear, Heatmor remains unharmed. The attack missed. But no, the smoke clears to reveal the pile of rocks burying something. Heatmor is nowhere else to be seen. I quickly look everywhere. It has to be buried beneath those rocks.

"Cave the rocks in with Earth Power," I call out and Magcargo nods.

"Sucker Punch," Thomas says calmly.

Magcargo concentrates its strength and the ground begins to shake. Rocks from the mound burst out in all directions. Heatmor emerges and rushes at Magcargo. A clean strike to the face sends my Pokémon skidding back and recoiling in pain.

"Fire Blast!" Thomas calls out triumphantly and raises a hand to the sky.

Heatmor leans its head back and, when it launches itself forward, a pillar of flames bigger than any I've seen before erupts from its snout. Magcargo is defenceless and its eyes widen in horror as the attack approaches. The flames consume Magcargo. I have to shield my face from the heat as they get closer. Thankfully, the fire never reaches me and gradually recedes. Magcargo has been flung some distance and is lying helplessly in a heap.

The referee declares Magcargo defeated as I check my Battle Gear in despair. Heatmor is more powerful than I could have imagined. I have to come up with something to deal with it and fast before I can even worry about his other five.

"Go, Milotic!"

"Sylux, your work is done. Go, Samuel," Thomas says as he switches his Pokémon out by juggling his Poké Balls.

My next obstacle is a hulking Conkeldurr. It slams both of its concrete blocks to the ground, smashing craters into the floor. Milotic simply looks at it disapprovingly. Thomas adjusts his glasses as he looks over the situation. He looks thoughtful. I don't understand his delay. He set up the situation, why would it take so much time for him to make a move? I consider trying to take the initiative, but stop as my mouth opens. It's another trick. He wants me to go first.

We both stand silently eying each other, waiting to see who will go first. Our Pokémon engage in a similar stare down. The crowd quietens. They seem more confused by our stand off than anything. If this continues long enough then I will break the deadlock, but only after I've thought through the best course of action.

"Switch!" I shout suddenly, "Gourgeist, use Flame Charge!"

Gourgeist is already covered in flames as it emerges from the Poké Ball. It rushes across the battlefield and slams into Conkeldurr. Thomas doesn't react. He just watches as Gourgeist bounces off Conkeldurr and lands on the floor unexpectedly. The flames die down and Gourgeist looks confused.

"Samuel, Ice Punch," Thomas says.

Conkeldurr steps forward and raises one of its concrete blocks over Gourgeist. The block shines an icy blue before it comes crashing down and ploughs Gourgeist into the dirt.

"Leech Seed," I say, thinking quickly.

Seeds fire out of Gourgeist's mouth. At such close range, Conkeldurr can't stop the seeds latching onto it. Conkeldurr lifts its concrete block off Gourgeist as it tries to shake the seeds loose. Gourgeist bounces away from Conkeldurr to stay away from any wild swings. Its strength is gradually coming back to it, being drained from Conkeldurr.

"Phantom Force," I say.

Gourgeist vanishes. Conkeldurr twists around rapidly in search of Gourgeist having lost sight of it while trying to rid itself of the seeds. Its grip on the concrete blocks tightens and cracks begin to appear beneath its fingers. It is really suffering now and is trying to hide it. The Battle Gear isn't picking up on it though. I wonder if Thomas knows.

"Strike now!" I call out.

"Rock Slide," Thomas says calmly. Again, his calmness shocks me and I take a step back.

Gourgeist reappears behind Conkeldurr with a menacing grin stretched across its face. It is ready to slam into Conkeldurr and take it by surprise. Hopefully dealing the decisive blow. However, Conkeldurr acts. It sweeps its concrete blocks around its back, throwing up a wall of rocks between them. Gourgeist can't stop itself. It crashes into the rocks and falls through onto Conkeldurr. The impact is lessened and Conkeldurr easily casts Gourgeist aside.

"You didn't think I'd let you pull that one off?" Thomas asks mockingly, "You're so predictable. Samuel, Ice Punch!"

Conkeldurr turns to face Gourgeist. Gourgeist tries to scramble and get up, but Conkeldurr swings one of its concrete blocks. With a devastating blow, Gourgeist is struck directly in the face. At the same time, the seeds latched onto Conkeldurr freeze and snap off. All of my efforts have been undone and reversed. Almost all of them anyway. I check my Battle Gear. Gourgeist is defeated, but Conkeldurr is on its last legs.

I return Gourgeist to its Poké Ball and try to think. Thomas thinks he's got me figured out and, so far, he has. I don't know what to do next. I don't have many options. If things were to go my way, I would be able to snatch an easy KO and take Conkeldurr out of the picture. Instead, Thomas will likely switch to another match up that makes me think I can win when he's got a counter strategy worked out. I ball my hands into fists and scrunch my eyes up in an attempt to focus and block the rest of the world out. I need to figure out a new strategy with a Pokémon Thomas has seen me use. One that the Pokémon can use without prior preparation.

Of course, that's it. I don't need the prior preparation. Not all of my strategies so far have been planned. If the bond with my Pokémon is as strong as I think it is, then they should understand what I'm thinking.

"Go, Milotic," I say, bringing it back out.

"So, that's how you're playing it?" Thomas asks thoughtfully.

"Yeah," I nod, "Milotic, Aqua Ring."

Milotic is surrounded by a rotating ring of refreshing water. I had expected Thomas to have switched by now, but again he's biding his time.

"Drain Punch," he says.

"Ice Beam downwards," I say.

Milotic chooses not to question this command. Conkeldurr charges towards it, holding its concrete blocks like battering rams. If the attack connects then it will hurt. However, Milotic aims its own attack at the floor. The thin icy blue light strikes the ground. The battlefield beneath Milotic freezes over and the water constantly soothing Milotic washes over the ice.

"Now move!" I shout.

It is a close call, but Milotic dodges Conkeldurr's charge at the last second, sliding its long body around the oncoming assault. Conkeldurr steps on the wet ice as it continues on. The plan works. Conkeldurr has no grip and slips. It releases its concrete blocks as it falls flat on its face. One of the blocks lands on Conkeldurr's back, drawing a yelp from it before it falls limp.

It was probably more complicated than it needed to be, but I have managed to get one of Thomas' Pokémon down. My attention turns to what he plans to use next. He will likely use something that he intends to counter Milotic with, but I have no plans on retreating. I reckon this wet ice strategy could prove useful. He likely won't fall for the same trick again, but I can use it to my advantage for that very reason. Mark showed how effective limiting the battlefield can be yesterday. If I can control where Thomas' Pokémon have to be, then I stand a chance.

"Go, Spinal," Thomas says.

I saw Thomas' Kabutops on TV in the first round. It looked deadly then. In person, it is even more dangerous looking. Its eyes stare straight through Milotic and at me. Its glare digs into me like the scythes on its arms might.

"Rock Slide," Thomas says.

"Ice Beam," I respond.

Kabutops lurches forward and slices at the ground with both scythes. The battlefield is ripped apart as a wave of rocks rises into the air. Milotic stands its ground and launches its attack. The Ice Beam sweeps across the wave and freezes it in place, creating a wall of frozen rocks between the two Pokémon. I crane my neck up for a better view of over the wall.

"Ice Beam downwards again," I say.

Milotic nods and attacks the floor again. My side of the battlefield becomes an ice rink with a safe area of solid ground for my other Pokémon. From what I can see over the wall, Thomas is waiting intently, glancing at the big screen above us to see the extent of what I've done.

"What do you think?" I ask and stretch out my arms. I am acting calm and confident. Two can play at this game. And why shouldn't I? I have turned the battlefield into my own defensive fortress.

"Impressive," Thomas says with a smirk.

"Milotic, Scald over the wall," I say, turning my attention back to the battle instead of boasting.

Milotic slithers up to the wall, soaking the ice with Aqua Ring in the process, and rises up to poke its head over the wall. I have to look up to the big screen as well so that I can see Milotic spray boiling hot water at Kabutops.

"It's impressive, but not good enough," Thomas shouts suddenly, "Spinal, break through with X-Scissor."

Kabutops jumps back to avoid Milotic's attack and raises its scythes. The scythes glow a searing hot red and come down on the wall with incredible force. The ice shatters and rains down on Milotic as Kabutops follows through the wall and smashes into Milotic. Milotic is thrown back and slides across the ice. Kabutops is through the wall but now has to navigate the ice rink I prepared for it.

"You think you're the first person to try an ice battlefield? Spinal, skating Aqua Jet," Thomas calls.

Kabutops slams its scythes into the ice and leans forward. It kicks off as its body is consumed in a wave of water and it shoots across the ice. Milotic only has time to raise its head to see its attacker before the collision sends it flying.

Milotic can't take much more of a beating and I haven't even landed a hit on Kabutops. I want to switch, let Milotic rest and use it later in a better match up. However, I can't. Kabutops can battle on the ice and Milotic is the only real option I have for that.

"Recover," I say. It is risky, but it is all I can hope to do. Milotic has to get itself into a better condition if there is any chance of taking on Kabutops.

"Swords Dance," Thomas says.

Worrying about Milotic being hit while recovering itself distracted me from the possibility of Kabutops using the opportunity to power itself up. While Milotic is veiled in a light glow, Kabutops swipes its scythes against each other as though to sharpen the blades. The scythes shimmer in the light that reflects from the ice beneath it.

I run my hands through my hair and hold onto my head. I can't hide it anymore. I am running out of ideas. The panic in my mind must be obvious on my face. I stare at the blades on the ends of Kabutops' arms. They look sharp enough to slice right through Milotic's delicate skin.

"Night Slash," Thomas says confidently. He knows what's coming.

Kabutops digs its scythes back into the ice and kicks off again. As it approaches Milotic, it pulls one scythe from the ice and a shadowy aura surrounds the blade.

"Milotic concedes!" I shout and quickly hold out a Poké Ball.

The crowd draws a collective gasp and I breathe a sigh of relief. Milotic disappears from the battlefield and Kabutops' scythe harmlessly slices through the air. This tournament has already done irreversible damage to Crobat. I refuse to let it claim another of my Pokémon.


	18. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17:**

This is it. I have lost. Three of my Pokémon are out of action while Thomas has lost just one. The Pokémon I have lost are the ones I trusted the most to win the match for me. With them beaten so comprehensively, what hope have I got? Thomas is simply better than me. There is no denying it at this point. My head drops. My legs feel weak and I am ready to slump to the floor and admit defeat. I am ready to give up in view of the entire world because I don't have a reason to win.

I don't regret my decision to compete in the tournament. It has been fun but this is where it comes to an end for me. Thomas just wants it more. I recall the television pundits talking about him. He has never failed to reach a semi-final and, yet, has never won a tournament. He wants to end that record on the biggest stage of all. I have no real interest in the fame and glory anymore. I have no use for the prize money. It won't reunite me with my sister. If anything, it will keep her further from me. I think to Daedalus. He encouraged me ahead of this battle, but now I know he is wrong about Thomas. He may be an alcoholic, but he's not drunk now. There's nothing to make an example of. Sobering up has made him an incredible trainer.

The referee interrupts my internal turmoil, hurrying me to select my next Pokémon. I don't want to though. It is obvious that I will lose. I don't want to put my Pokémon through that needlessly. I am going to surrender. As I am about to, I reflect on the tournament, the people I have met and all that has happened. I then remember. I promised my dad that I would win. He wants me to win. He wants to see me battle in the final. Melissa too, as much as I hate her, believes I can win. That is it. I am going to win to prove I am the best big sister, not for her but for my real sister, and to succeed where my dad never had the chance.

"Go, Clefable!"

"Thought I'd lost you there for a minute," Thomas laughs, "Spinal, Aqua Jet."

"Thunder Wave," I call out.

As Kabutops prepares to launch itself yet again, Clefable raises its hands and sticks out its index fingers. Clefable wags its fingers and sparks crackle around them. With a flick of the wrist, the sparks shoot across the frozen battlefield. Kabutops charges through the sparks head on. They surge through the water that surrounds Kabutops and it ceases the attack as its body seizes up. Kabutops stands on the ice, struggling to move as sparks arc around its body.

"Clefable, Mimic Aqua Jet!"

Another wiggle of its index fingers coats Clefable in a veil of water. It skips forward and jumps onto the ice, using the claws on its feet as skates much like Kabutops had used its scythes. Clefable glides gracefully across the ice with incredible speed before slamming into the vulnerable Kabutops. There is nothing Thomas can do to protect his Pokémon. Kabutops is a Pokémon known and used for its raw power and speed, not for its defences. Clefable has neutralised the threat and has free reign to deal the damage that should turn the tide of battle.

"Moonblast," I say confidently.

A pink orb of energy grows out of nothing between Clefable's hands. Kabutops is still lying on the floor after the last attack. Its limbs won't allow it to get up. Clefable swings its arms and throws the ball of energy at Kabutops. The energy explodes as it hits Kabutops and sends it sliding across the ice to collide with the remains of the frozen wall. The impact smashes the wall and the icy rocks tumble down onto Kabutops.

Kabutops is defeated. It has taken considerable damage now is such a short period of time and it has no real way of battling with its paralysis. It would struggle to even climb out from beneath the frozen rubble. Thomas returns it and strokes his beard thoughtfully. He was less prepared for Clefable as it's the first time I'm using it in the tournament.

"Go, Sylux," he says and Heatmor returns to the battlefield.

I don't know what the thinking is behind his decision or whether or not it seems like a good decision. It's a matchup I feel I can work with and know I have to work with. My only worry is that Thomas has lured me into this before. I don't really have much say in the matter though.

"Aqua Jet," I say.

"Sucker Punch," Thomas counters.

Clefable veils itself in water again and skates across the ice. Heatmor rushes across the unaffected part of the battlefield and times itself to reach the edge of the ice at the same time as Clefable. Heatmor swings is arm and smacks Clefable in the face as the two Pokémon collide. Heatmor is sprayed with water, but Clefable comes out of the collision worse. It is flung back and crashes to the ground, cracking the ice beneath it.

"Inferno!" Thomas shouts.

Heatmor disappears in a ball of flames. Fire explodes out in all directions and covers the battlefield. I have to jump back to avoid wild flares spitting at me. I hear a high pitched shriek that rips through the air and look for Clefable. There is no sign of it through the flames.

"Clefable!" I cry out.

I get no reply other than a continuation of the ear splitting scream.

I stare at the battlefield. I am shaking. This can't be happening. I quickly look to my Battle Gear to try and get an idea of what's happening. I breathe. Clefable is hanging on. I spot a red mark next to Clefable's health bar. It's burnt. I am not surprised given what it's going through. Heatmor is using up a lot of its strength too, but it looks like it will pay off for Thomas.

Heatmor stops and the fire around it dies down. Eventually, the entire inferno fades. The battlefield beyond the flames has transformed. The ice has melted to a thin layer of water covering the ground. Clefable lies on its back, gasping for air. It is lying in the pool of water and is flicking water onto its horrific scarring burns.

"Clefable, can you keep going?" I ask. It's a stupid question to ask. How can I force it to keep going in the condition it's in?

Clefable forces itself to its feet. The entire front of its body is scorched. It screeches as it struggles to stand. It wants to keep fighting. It looks back to me with a determined glare. I can tell it's enduring a lot of pain. I am torn.

"Fire Blast," Thomas decides for me.

"Aqua Jet!" I call.

Clefable screams at the top of its lungs as it coats itself in water and launches forwards. The water will do it good, but it will still hurt a lot. Heatmor responds with a torrent of fire. The attacks collide head on. Clefable ploughs through the fire, the water acting as a shield.

Suddenly, I spot steam rising. Heatmor is boiling the water. If this keeps up for much longer then Clefable is done for. I can't see it through the barrage of flames so I have no way of knowing how close it is to Heatmor. Then, it happens. Clefable reaches breaking point. Heatmor pushes on and Clefable is thrown back across the battlefield to crash at my feet.

"I'm so sorry," I say to Clefable as I return it to its Poké Ball, "I shouldn't have pushed you on."

I try to hold back the tears of my regret. My sudden burst of determination is crushed. I was relying on my first four choices to beat Thomas. That hasn't worked and now I am forced into a position I never wanted to be in. I reluctantly pick my next Poke Ball and hold it in my hand.

"Please," I say softly and press the Poke Ball against my lips, "Please listen to me. I need your help now more than ever."

"I see, I've been looking forward to this, Psycho," Thomas says, "Your ace in the hole."

Thomas' words dig deep into me. He has judged the situation wrong. So heartbreakingly wrong. I grip the Poké Ball tightly and prepare to throw it. This is no ace. Perhaps it could have been and might still be one day, but, for now, it is far from it.

"Go, Goodra!"

I throw the Poké Ball and it falls to the ground with a soft thud. My Pokémon does not emerge. There is a murmuring around the stadium. No doubt the world is now speculating every possibility. I didn't pick the wrong ball, there is definitely a Goodra in there. It just doesn't want to come out.

The referee watches me closely as I walk over to the ball. I kneel down and place my hand on it. Goodra is coming out whether it wants to or not. There is a manual release to open a ball and force a Pokémon out. I hold my finger on the button for a few seconds and then let go. Light erupts from the ball and Goodra stands over me.

Goodra growls at me and folds its arms as I stand up to face it. As a species, Goodra is known for being friendly, especially towards trainers. I don't understand what, but something has gone wrong between us. It wasn't long ago that Goomy couldn't be separated from me. Now, as a Goodra, it wants nothing to do with me.

"Please Goodra," I begin and it turns its head to avoid eye contact with me.

I reach out to touch Goodra's gooey skin. It catches sight of this and moves quickly away. I step forward to be closer to it again and Goodra swings its body. I have no chance to react between spotting Goodra's fist heading for me and when it makes contact with my face.

I groan and clutch my face. I am lying on the floor and I think I briefly slipped out of consciousness. There is the taste of blood in my mouth and a pain thumping inside my head. Someone helps me up into a sitting position as I peel the sticky slime from my cheek and wipe it on my clothes. I look to see a paramedic checking me over. He's saying things but it's hard for me to make sense of what.

"Where's Goodra?" I ask, accidentally spitting blood on the paramedic.

The paramedic says something that I can only vaguely hear. I don't listen and try to look around. The paramedic seems insistent on holding me in place and making sure there's nothing wrong with me. There's plenty wrong with me, I know that. I need to know what Goodra is doing though. My Battle Gear catches my eye with a flash of light and I look at it. Heatmor has been defeated.

I smack the paramedic's arm to force him to release my jaw. I turn to the side and let my eyes focus after the sudden movement. Goodra stands over the twitching body of Heatmor. Both Thomas and the referee seem surprised and confused. Goodra must have attacked Heatmor without my command and defeated it. This is the first time it has battled since evolution. Whenever I have tried commanding it, it has outright refused and sometimes even attacked me instead.

I then spot a smudge of ash stuck to Goodra's arm. That is why it attacked. Thomas provoked it. That was a bad move on his part. Proven when Goodra opens its mouth to prepare a Dragon Pulse and aims at Thomas.

**AN: Two completed chapters and the battle still isn't finished, this is going to be a bit longer than I first anticipated. However, I must apologise now that there will be a... let's call it a break before the next chapter. Rather unfortunate and uncontrollable circumstances have come into play, piled on top of the fact that I have been writing this story pretty solidly since April meaning I'm a little burnt out. This means it could be a while before the next chapter and conclusion of this "cliffhanger". I don't know how long it could be. It could be a week, a couple of weeks or even a few months. I am truly sorry. I do really want to finish writing this story, just it's not going to happen under current conditions. If I did try now, it would be horribly done, rushed and ruined. I hope you can understand.**


End file.
